(CBS News) Beginning today, up to 47 million women may be
eligible to get free access to preventive health care services
as that provision of President Barack Obama's Affordable Care
Act goes into effect. As contraception mandate goes into effect,
opponents continue to fight "Women deserve to have control over
their health care," wrote Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on a blog post on
Healthcare.gov. "Too often, they have gone without preventive
services, worrying about what even a $20 insurance co-pay would
mean to their families' budgets and choosing to pay for
groceries or rent instead. But now, thanks to the health care
law, many women won't have to make that choice." Under the new
provision that goes into effect August 1, 2012, women will be
eligible to receive the following eight services without paying
a co-pay: Well-woman visits, including an annual check-up for
adult women to get recommended preventive services, and
additional visits if women and their doctor