Photo courtesy of http://www.bartcop.com/
If you get your period once a month, you should know that you have a “pre-existing condition”. Pregnant, or had a caesarean section? When it comes to health insurance, you are branded with the Scarlett Letter- “W”.
Basically, being born as a women puts you at an automatic disadvantage for receiving affordable health care– something male counterparts don’t have to worry about.
Take for example, Linda Bettinazzi, owner of a home health company in Pennsylvania. Her company is charged $2,000 more per employee than the national average for single coverage, a staggering $6,800, because majority of her employees are women. (for full report at Kaisers Health News, click here) Or what about the pregnant young women who tries to get private health insurance and is deemed “uninsurable” because she is carrying a baby? Unfortunately gender discrimination of this type is common in America.
This is not to say that gender based discrimination is being swept under the rug. Advocates fighting for equality, such as The National Women’s Law Center have taken on the issue, and are pushing for health reform to change the system. One way this is being done is through the Law Center’s “A Women is Not a Preexisting Condition” website, which is asking advocates to send letters to Congress.(click here for petition)
To learn more about gender discrimination in health care, click here.
