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Women short-changed in health insurance, Kerry says

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor May 5, 2009 03:20 PM

Senator John F. Kerry today introduced a bill that would stop insurers from charging women higher premiums, or denying or limiting coverage based on whether they are pregnant.

Kerry cited a September 2008 report by the National Women’s Law Center that found insurance companies can reject applicants for reasons that affect women; that it is difficult and costly for women to find health insurance that covers maternity care; and that women often face higher premiums than men for identical coverage.

“The disparity between women and men in the individual insurance market is just plain wrong and it has to change,” Kerry said in a statement. “With Mother’s Day around the corner, there’s no better gift to American women than discrimination-free, affordable and accessible insurance that meets their health needs.”

Coincidentally, the main health insurer group said today it would end its practice of charging higher premiums to women if all Americans are required to obtain coverage, the industry's latest concession as it tries to stave off the creation of a government plan that would directly compete with private insurers.

"We don't believe gender should be a subject of rating," Karen Ignagni, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, told the Senate Finance Committee, the Associated Press reports. "We are ready to be accountable to those rules."

A summary of Kerry's bill is below:

The Women’s Health Insurance Fairness Act would:

· prevent insurers in the individual market from charging women higher premiums than men;

· prevent insurers in the individual market from denying or limiting coverage based on a current or past pregnancy or past or future method of delivery (such as a Cesarean section);

· require all insurance policies offered on the individual market to provide comprehensive maternity coverage for the full scope of maternity services from preconception through postpartum;

· provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the authority to monitor compliance with the requirements of this Act and assess fines of at least $10,000 against any health insurance company that fails to submit the required data; and

· direct the Government Accountability Office to issue a report by December 31, 2010 about problems remaining for women on the individual insurance market in all 50 states and DC following enactment of this Act.

This legislation is supported by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), Children’s Defense Fund, Consumers Union, Families USA, National Partnership for Women & Families, OWL - The Voice of Midlife and Older Women, and the Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health (PRCH).

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So again we find out woman are being screwed!
We earn 76 cents to every 1.00 a man earns.
We are charged more for health insurance.
We are charged more for life insurance
We are charged more for clothes.
We are charged more for underwear.
We have to cook, clean, look after the kids AND bring home the bacon.
And what exactly do the men do?
Screw us over, again, and again and again...........

Posted by RedSox13 May 5, 09 04:20 PM
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Kerry cited a September 2008 report by the National Women’s Law Center

Wow- what a reliable source for Kerry to cite. I wonder if they have an agenda?

Makes sense to look for more bogus things to pour money into though, right? After all, it's not like we're in a recession.

Posted by Dave Singleton May 5, 09 04:36 PM
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Where is the lobby to lower my car insurance premium to match that of a woman's? I have no black marks on my record, but because of my gender I pay a higher premium. Senator Kerry?

Posted by realist May 5, 09 04:55 PM
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Swine flu (A-H1N1) and Healthcare In America

Well my fellow Americans, and people of the World. That was yet another very close potential catastrophe. Especially for those of us that live in America with our busted, greed driven, private for profit healthcare system. What ever you do World. Don’t copy our current healthcare system.

If that virus (A-H1N1) had emerged just a few months earlier our busted healthcare system in America would have collapsed. Just like our economy almost did. And hundreds of thousands more Americans, if not millions would have needlessly lost their lives. As hospital ER’s became choked with the sick, and dying.

All on top of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who needlessly lose their lives in America each year from a rush to profit by the private for profit healthcare industry. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured, and uninsured. Men Women, Children, and Babies.

This was yet another big WAKE-UP! call for America, and for our Government. It’s time for Congress to end the debate. And stop dancing around the issues of how they can continue to try and justify protecting the private for profit healthcare industry, and the private for profit healthcare insurance industry. These industries are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans every year in America, and endangering our National security.

“the health-care system is, first and foremost, for the American people—not the companies that profit from it.” (Tom Daschle | NEWSWEEK)

IT’S OVER! The Private for profit healthcare experiment in America is dead. It FAILED! And it was a DISASTER!

"NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. Is the ONLY! way to go.

Essentially HR676 (enhanced, and expanded medicare for all). Just like every other CIVILIZED! country in the developed World has. There is no other way to truly fix or reform our current disastrous healthcare delivery system. NONE!

Congress, fix our healthcare crisis while you still have time.

President Obama, VP Biden, the Obama administration and the rest of his advisors, along with Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid are doing an excellent job of protecting you. And also an excellent job of representing you and the best interest of the World. But it’s time for the rest of Congress to get on board.

To those of you who keep standing up and fighting for single-payer universal healthcare for all. YOU! are Americas true HEROES! And I am proud of you. :-) Don’t let up.

I will have more to say about this VERY! unusual virus (A-H1N1), and flu in general, later. There are some things you really need to know and think about... All of you.

Till then, God Bless And Keep You All

Jack Smith — Working Class

Posted by jacksmith May 5, 09 07:56 PM
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The little people must not hear about taking the for-profit insurance companies out of medicine.

Profits trump death?

You know the answer.

"Our" Government!

Posted by gravel kucinich paul nader May 7, 09 07:31 PM
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