Women's Health PAC to highlight reimbursement issues with a first-of-its-kind summit
A policy roadmap for change will be published later this year
The Women's health political action committee (WHPAC), has announced that the issue of reimbursement reform in women’s health will be its key focus area for change in 2025 - encompassing a landmark stakeholder summit and a policy roadmap which will be published later this year.
Founded in May 2024, the WHPAC is the first bipartisan organization dedicated to bridging the political divide to support increased funding, research, and innovation in women's health. The grassroots movement brings together individuals from all political backgrounds to make a difference.
Reimbursement issues in need of reform include current system failures such as the out-of-pocket costs for preventative care, complex billing barriers and lower reimbursement rates for OB-GYN services compared to other specialties. In one study, research found that employed women in the US pay approximately $15 billion more per year in out-of-pocket expenses than employed men - even when excluding maternity-related costs. And male specific procedures were reimbursed at a higher hourly rate ($599/hr) than female-specific procedures ($555/hr)
Reimbursement inefficiencies also contribute to the investment gap by deterring venture capital and research funding, limiting innovation in women's health.
Women's Health PAC co-founder Jodi Neuhauser said:
"The main issue we've heard throughout the last 8 months from WHPAC stakeholders is the dire state of women's health reimbursement.
“We're seeing rural labor and delivery units close and critical services like well-woman care and cancer treatment become increasingly inaccessible. Every conversation we've had with doctors, hospital administrators, investors and innovators points to reimbursement as the root cause. That's why we're taking this fight to Washington – because fixing the system means increasing access, keeping doctors in the field, doors open and improving outcomes for all women.”
The WHPAC will hold an inaugural Bipartisan Women's Health Reimbursement Summit in New York on March 4th to uncover the critical reimbursement changes needed to accelerate growth, innovation, and investment in women's health.
The Summit hopes to facilitate collaboration on systemic reform, moving beyond individual issues to tackle fundamental reimbursement problems affecting all women's health services. To do this it will unite clinicians, payers, innovators, policy leaders, hospital systems, RUC Committee, and CMS representatives.
The summit will culminate in actionable policy recommendations, published in partnership with the Women's Health Foundation as "The Path to Bigger and Stronger Families: A Policy Roadmap for Women's Health Reimbursement Reform." This first-ever comprehensive policy roadmap focused exclusively on women's health reimbursement, guiding future discussions with the current administration, including HHS and CMS.
Building a $900 million movement
Last night (Monday 3 February), the WHPAC hosted a sold-out event at the New York Stock Exchange, where over 150 women gathered for a conversation between Kate Ryder, Founder & CEO of Maven Clinic; Dr. Somi Javaid, Founder and Board Member of HerMD; and Tamsen Fadal, Journalist and Producer of The "M" Factor, moderated by Anu Duggal, Founding Partner of Female Founder's Fund, discussing the unifying role menopause plays in policy and advocacy.
The PAC co-founders outlined their 2025 vision, underscoring the critical importance of bipartisan collaboration to advance women's health.
Goals include launching a membership-based organisation with ambition to become a $900 million movement with 1.5 million members by 2026 to redefine the landscape of women's health. Drawing inspiration from the success of other transformative grassroots initiatives, this organization will harness the collective power of millions to drive systemic policy change, accelerate innovation, and deliver measurable health outcomes for women nationwide.
The WHPAC has also announced a strategic merger with Doctors for Fertility PAC, founded by physicians to advocate for IVF and reproductive care access, strengthening collaboration among leading women's health organizations to drive impactful policy change and improve health outcomes nationwide.
Serena H Chen MD and Stephanie Gustin MD Doctors For Fertility PAC Founding Board said:
"We were incredibly impressed with the rapid impact WHPAC has made in just a few short months.
“Their strategic approach, bipartisan focus, and commitment to meaningful policy change convinced us they were the right team to continue advocating for fertility access and reproductive health policy on our behalf. We are excited to join forces and work together to build and strengthen families and improve health outcomes for women in 2025 and beyond.”
Bold collaborative leadership
WHPAC was founded by Jodi Neuhauser, a seasoned entrepreneur, board member, executive and angel investor in the women's health sector, and Candace McDonald, a seasoned CEO, board member and executive in politics and non-profit organizations and is supported by an Advisory Board and Founder's Circle of over 70 industry executives and leaders.
In 2024, the WHPAC raised $250K from 400+ donors and had 600+ attendees over 7 events nationwide. It’s supported 16 bipartisan candidates, of which 12 were elected with one nominated as the Incoming Secretary of Labor.
Anu Duggal, Founding Partner of Female Founder’s Fund said:
"The Women's Health PAC represents a powerful convergence of entrepreneurial innovation and policy expertise.
“Since its inception, I've watched this organization leverage startup-style agility to tackle healthcare's most pressing challenges. What sets them apart is their genuine bipartisan approach to women's health – a critically underfunded sector that demands immediate attention.
Their rapid growth and concrete achievements demonstrate exactly the kind of bold, collaborative leadership needed to transform healthcare policy in Washington."