Comments on: Health Insurance: Bastion of Gender-based Pricing

By: ER

ER — Sat, 16 May 2009 16:45:29 +0000

The health insurance companies are at it again. First, they said they’d end discrimination against women only on their terms – if all Americans were forced to buy health insurance and if there was no public option. Both terms would benefit the insurance companies and increase their profits while harming the rest of us, especially women. http://thenewagenda.net/2009/0.....imination/

Now, the insurance companies are taking back their ‘promise’ to control costs. It affects their profits.

Read about it here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05.....38;emc=rss

It’s what we’ve known all along: we can’t trust the insurance industry with health care reform.

Only a single-payer approach to healthcare reform will end the inhumanity of our failed healthcare insurance system, where profits are more important than patients’ health, and where people die because of it.

Our fight against the insurance companies’ discrimination against women, and for equal access to healthcare for all, is about democracy, human rights, civil rights, and basic human decency.

HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act (in the House), and S 703, The American Health Security Act (in the Senate) would ensure that every American, regardless of gender,, income, employment status, or race, has access to quality, affordable health care services.

By: ER

ER — Fri, 15 May 2009 04:58:51 +0000

Take a look at this blog:
“Why Women Must Lead the Fight for Health Care Reform” :

http://www.care2.com/causes/he.....re-reform/

By: ER

ER — Fri, 15 May 2009 03:35:59 +0000

Thank you Jewell! Terrific article!

By: Jewell

Jewell — Thu, 14 May 2009 21:51:15 +0000

A-nell, ER –
Did you see this? http://www.thenation.com/blogs.....ors_nurses

By: A-Nell

A-Nell — Thu, 14 May 2009 02:31:00 +0000

We need to insist upon the single payer option. I had no idea that women pay more. I wonder how we can find out if our company is doing that? Probably mine is since it is BCBS.
But above and beyond the single payer issue is this: I do not think we should have “levels” of health care options. I think that everyone should have the “high option” as the only option. Else you still have the poorest people having to select the “basic” option due to cost differences, thereby getting lower quality care. My insurance paid 90%, when I was working, of my insulin pump cost. Some people have to pay 50% to get it, if they have insurance. The cost is $6500 just for the pump, not to mention ongoing supplies. Just one example.

By: ER

ER — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:03:56 +0000

We should not tolerate women having to pay more for health insurance, just as we do not tolerate the practice of using race as a factor in setting insurance rates.

Only a single-payer approach to healthcare reform will END THE INHUMANITY OF OUR FAILED HEALTHCARE INSURANCE SYSTEM, WHERE PROFITS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN PATIENTS’ HEALTH, and people are dying because of it.

Only a single-payer approach will end the current disgraceful practice of insurance companies’ engaging in blatant gender discrimination, refusing to pay for medical treatment, denying claims, and engaging in rampant price gouging that discourages patients from going to the doctor and has resulted in 50 million Americans without healthcare and 87 million Americans without health insurance at some point in the past 2 years.

HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act (in the House), and S 703, The American Health Security Act (in the Senate) would ensure that every American, regardless of gender, income, employment status, or race, has access to quality, affordable health care services.

Read the earlier excellent New Agenda Post, “Why women need universal single-payer health care here: http://thenewagenda.net/2009/0.....alth-care/

TAKE ACTION:
1. ASK your Senators to co-sponsor S 703, The American Health Security Act.

2. ASK your Representative to co-sponsor HR 676, The United States National Health Insurance Act. (75 Representatives have signed on as co-sponsors so far).

You can find your legislators’ contact information here: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

3. ASK Obama to support Single Payer reform: http://www.healthreform.gov/contact/index.html
Phone: Comments: 202-456-1111;?Switchboard: 202-456-1414; FAX: 202-456-2461

By: ER

ER — Wed, 13 May 2009 22:48:22 +0000

Thank you Jewel!

There is an interesting report, “Roadblocks to Healthcare: Why the Current Health Care System does not work for Women,” at the government website: http://www.healthreform.gov/re.....index.html

By: Kali

Kali — Wed, 13 May 2009 19:36:11 +0000

I have a sneaking suspicion that in all this haggling with the insurers, the women are going to get shafted. The government-backed health plan should be a real option, not just some haggling device.

And agreed with Janis 100%. Women should go on a reproductive strike. Even if 10% of the women did this, we’ll have these morons panicking and then they’ll listen to us. Otherwise we can be safely ignored.

By: Janis

Janis — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:45:10 +0000

If we give BIRTH to males half the time, why the hell shouldn’t they pay some of that? Christ, the way they act, they totally forget that prenatal health care AFFECTS THEM TOO. Unless they spontaneously generate by some other means in order to reproduce. Dumbasses.