Thursday
Aug062009
Report Shows Women Have Disadvantage In Current Health Care System
Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 5:19PM
By Mariko Lamb, Talk Radio News Service
Members of the Joint Economic Committee released a report Thursday that revealed 1.4 million women have lost their health insurance during the recession. More than 1 million of those lost were due to a spouse’s job loss.
“Clearly the system is broken when 1 million women lose their health insurance because their spouses lose their jobs,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)
“Under the status quo, women are more vulnerable to higher health care costs than men and when they lose their coverage the impact is felt heavily on their children and their families,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said.
Sarah Wildman, a self-employed journalist and mother, testified about her experience with what she described as an “inappropriate health care plan”.
“I didn’t realize that my choice to start a family would put us into debt,” Wildman said, after receiving a $22,000 hospital bill from her health insurance company that initially claimed to cover maternity care. “When you buy insurance on your own, there’s no guarantee that what you pay for is what you get,” she said, calling her private sector health insurance “anti-middle class, anti-entrepreneurial, and anti-family.”
“It is so important that the voices of people like Mrs. Wildman not be drowned out,” Rep, Cummings said. “We can not allow the current system to continue to break America’s families, businesses, and economies, and we must not allow it to break American women,” he said, urging Congress to continue promoting health care reform legislation that ensures women access to quality health care without being charged higher premiums than men.
Members of the Joint Economic Committee released a report Thursday that revealed 1.4 million women have lost their health insurance during the recession. More than 1 million of those lost were due to a spouse’s job loss.
“Clearly the system is broken when 1 million women lose their health insurance because their spouses lose their jobs,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.)
“Under the status quo, women are more vulnerable to higher health care costs than men and when they lose their coverage the impact is felt heavily on their children and their families,” Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) said.
Sarah Wildman, a self-employed journalist and mother, testified about her experience with what she described as an “inappropriate health care plan”.
“I didn’t realize that my choice to start a family would put us into debt,” Wildman said, after receiving a $22,000 hospital bill from her health insurance company that initially claimed to cover maternity care. “When you buy insurance on your own, there’s no guarantee that what you pay for is what you get,” she said, calling her private sector health insurance “anti-middle class, anti-entrepreneurial, and anti-family.”
“It is so important that the voices of people like Mrs. Wildman not be drowned out,” Rep, Cummings said. “We can not allow the current system to continue to break America’s families, businesses, and economies, and we must not allow it to break American women,” he said, urging Congress to continue promoting health care reform legislation that ensures women access to quality health care without being charged higher premiums than men.
Sebelius Blasts Hike In Health Care Premiums
Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius had harsh words regarding the ‘extreme’ premium increases insurance companies have requested this year.
“We are seeing this at a same time where not only is there an economic down turn around the country, but we know that insurance companies are not suffering that same kind of downturn,” said Sebelius during a conference call with reporters Thursday. “The five largest insurers in America have declared more than $12 billion worth of profits in 2009.”
The Secretary's comments came shortly after Health and Human Services released a report entitled "Insurance Companies Prosper, Families Suffer: Our Broken Health Insurance System," which detailed hikes in premiums, such as Anthem Blue Cross of California, which seeks to raise premiums by up to 39 percent.
Sebelius said she had contacted Blue Cross to ask for an explanation for the hike. In response, the company said they would delay the increase for two months.
According to the report, a recent study found that almost 75 percent of individuals looking for coverage on the individual market never bought a plan, with 61 percent of those who did not purchase insurance citing premium costs as the primary reason.
"The president said we won't fix the economy without fixing our healthcare system,” added Sebelius. “Thats why he invited leadership from the Democrats and Republicans, from the House and Senate, to sit down, roll up their sleeves and talk about a comprehensive health reform plan.”