8.24.2009

Health Care Reform-From a Woman's Point of View

Current system screws everyone, but women in particular

Did you know that pregnancy is a pre-existing condition, that can keep women from getting health health care insurance when they need it most?

True!

Let me give you an example. If you're a healthy 30 something year old woman and you've been living without health insurance for years, for, well, because you're healthy. You work for yourself as an independent contractor from your home.

You find yourself pregnant, and you want health care during your pregnancy because you want a healthy baby and you want to take care of yourself.

Well, unless you have a husband who has group insurance through his job...you won't get any coverage because individual market place insurance companies consider your pregnancy a pre-existing condition.

And as everybody knows...health insurance companies don't cover pre-existing conditions.

Federal law prevents group insurers from dumping on women like this. But the loophole exists in the marketplace. And it is legal for them to deny.

A normal birth delivery runs between $7000-$10,000, more if there are complications. Not getting neonatal care can open a woman up to child abuse and neglect charges.

Most health industry officials say get the policy before you get pregnant. But face it, how many pregnancies are planned in America, even when the couple is married?

Most births these days are to unwed mothers. There is nothing that affects men in this way.

And then, there is that problem of money and affordability-most people can't afford private insurance in the first place. Since women routinely make less money than men, they get the crap end of the stick anyway.

A catch-22 scenario, if there ever was one.

So what's a girl to do? Many get on medicaid or some state program to help make ends meet, if they can. Many women caught up like this make too much money to qualify for state aid

The scenario for them then becomes....do I keep the baby or do I get an abortion.

The current Obama reform plans floating around on Capitol Hill would outlaw this “female only pre-existing trap.”

It would also do away with what's called “gender-rating” charging women more simply because they are women. This goes on everywhere in American society, on everything from dry cleaning to health care.

The Senate version of the reform bill would allow insurance companies to charge companies more for group insurance if their workforce was more than 50% female....Isn't that gender discrimination? Just asking...

Given these built in inequities in the system, it mystifies me that any woman would stand up against health care reform.

Even with reform, we're likely to get the short end of the stick.

Women make up the majority of people in this country...

When are we going to start voting like it...

The health care industry has dropped $35 million dollars in lobbying money into the pockets of our congressmen to keep reform from happening..

Isn't it time to remind these bought and paid for clowns...that they work for us?

Call your Congressman, please!

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