A New Era for Women’s Healthcare?

Lots of Americans face medical hurdles on a regular basis due to the complexity of health insurance. Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of health care reform is how it will impact women. Women make 80% of all family health care decisions according to the US Department of Labor. Women’s basic health care needs are often excluded from current insurance plans. With health care reform, more women will have more health care coverage than ever before.

Women of all socioeconomic backgrounds struggle to afford health care. In 40 states there is gender discrimination where women are charged between 6% to 45% more then men for the same coverage. Maternity care is also a large problem. Many expecting mothers are surprised to find out that individual policy caps only cover $2-3,000 but the cost of complicated or life-threatening delivery may cost $35-$50,000. Elderly women, aged 65 and older are at risk for financially devastating healthcare costs; they spend more then any other age group and pay more out of pocket expenses for care then men.

Health care reform will eradicate some of the most common obstacles. The plan will:

• Not charge higher insurance rates due to gender.

• Cover maternity and reproductive health care as part of a basic package.

• Cap out-of-pocket costs. By providing premium assistance and creating caps on out-of-pocket expenses, health insurance reform will make health care affordable for older women.

• Not deny any American coverage because of a pre-existing condition, including breast cancer, pregnancy, or domestic violence.

• Cover key preventative tests (mammograms, pap smears, etc.) under basic care.

Creating health insurance that addresses the gender gap in cost and coverage will help prevent illness for the 21 million women who currently are uninsured. One recent study estimates women’s preventable chronic disease conditions cost hundreds of billions of dollars to treat: 43 million American women with cardiovascular disease costs about $162 billion annually; Diabetes over $58 billion; Osteoporosis, which impacts 8 million women, nearly $14 billion; Breast cancer an estimated $9 billion.

How are women faring under the current system? Will health care reform bring down medical costs for elderly women? Many young women are finding that they can’t get health care at all; will reform help them? Why do women pay higher premiums then men?