Will Individual Health Insurance Legislation End Gender Discrimination?
October 2009
Current
health coverage legislation could potentially help a lot of people. Under the right circumstances it could apply greater coverage to small business employees, those who live at or below the poverty level, and even many kids.
But one group who's needs haven't been so publicly addressed is women. Recently, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi addressed whether or not gender discrimination in the health insurance industry would end with
individual health insurance reform.
Statistically women find it harder to purchase individual health insurance
and employer funded health coverage, for a variety of reasons. First of all, it's perfectly legal for insurance companies to deny women coverage based on "pre-existing conditions" like pregnancy, c-section, and even domestic abuse.
That's correct, women can be denied health coverage for having been victims of domestic abuse. It's terrible but true.
Then there's the fact that women tend to utilize their insurance more than men do, whether for checkups or for actual illness. So in effect, women are punished for taking better care of their health.
Finally, women are more likely to work for small businesses or to work part-time. This means that they're stuck trying to find good individual health insurance that won't cost them too much, but that will still offer them decent coverage.
According to the
Miami Herald, women pay on average 68% more than men do for their health coverage during their prime years, from ages 15 to 44 years old.
Facts on:
Health Coverage for Women
Did you know...
Women tend to utilize their insurance more than men do?
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House leaders are slated to address women's issues in upcoming debates, particularly in terms of gender-based pricing, preventative care and helping lower-income parents.
How each bill that's on the table will address the specific concerns of women remains to be seen, but Pelosi's recent promises that women's concerns won't be ignored are better than the traditional way things were done, which is to say, it's better than being discriminated against for women who have no means of fighting the system.
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