On Oct. 8, 2009, Democratic women Senators spoke on the Senate floor about gender disparities in the U.S. health care system
Related vid -
Senator Gillibrand Argues for Reproductive Health Coverage in Health Insurance Reformhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPOq3bTIdTchttp://www.rhrealitycheck.org/blog/2009/10/08/six-women-senators-show-their-male-colleagues-what-it-means-have-cojonesThe Senators statements shed light on the various ways in which the high costs of health care and the lack of insurance coverage disproportionately affect women....as women, as mothers, as employees, and as caregivers to aging parents and familiy members.
"Women must shoulder the worst of the health care crisis, including outrageous discriminatory practices in care and coverage," said Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
"But it is shocking to think," said Gillibrand:
that
in today’s America over half of the population of this country could be discriminated against in one of their most basic life’s needs.
All other things being equal, for example, women still pay more for health insurance coverage than men. Gillibrand cited data compiled by the National Women's Law Center showing that:
under our current system a 25 year-old woman pays up to 45 percent more for the same or identitcal coverage And yet, some of the most essentiservices required by women are not covered by many insurance plans ...such as childbearing, pap smears and mammograms.
Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) pointed out that:
And where women can find affordable insurance, stated Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), the "actual coverage is woefully inadequate" to their real needs.
Today, the majority of those on Medicaid and Medicare are women and providing sufficient funding for those programs is critical to the health care safety net on which millions depend.
In addition, the toll taken by the recession has had dramatic effects on women's access to health care. On Larry King Live, Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) cited statistics showing that 52 percent of women delay going to the doctor because of the cost of care and stated:
I get letters from women that they simply pray they don't get sick, or that they are waiting to turn 65 to enroll in Medicare. Is this the only form of health insurance they have, prayer?
And...without reform the senior population will not get the care they need.
In their floor statements, the Senators made clear that health reform must address discrimination in insurance costs and in access to care based on sex, especially the refusal to cover basic needs such as sexual and reproductive health care, labor and delivery care, and other essential health needs.
Standard in-hospital deliveries, for example, cost between $5,000 and $10,000, and much more if there are complications. But Senator Boxer pointed out the irony of the fact that in a country that ostensibly "puts family values first...only 14 states...require insurance companies to cover maternity care."
In fact, as Senator Debbie Stabenow stated with a mix of frustration and incredulity:
Some insurance companies treat pregnancy or the intention to adopt as a reason to reject someone for a pre-existing condition.
Pregnancy should never be a pre-existing condition," said Gillibrand, "and such discrimination is unacceptable and is contrary to our core values of equality and equal rights."
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