Insurance and Women

As I was doing research for my portion of our group project, the subject of which is insurance discrimination against women, I came across several facts which should be of interest to you- most of you being of age to purchase your own health insurance. These are just a few of the outrageous ways in which insurance companies discriminate against women:

1. There exist no federal guidelines determining insurance costs in the individual market. This enables private insurance companies to raise prices for women, often citing that “women have greater insurance demands than men.”

2. Often, women pay up to 50% more than men of the same age for the same coverage. Upwards of 140% greater charges have been reported in states such as Missouri.

3. In some cases, women can be denied coverage entirely if she’s the victim of domestic violence.

4. Most insurance companies charge outrageous surcharges for maternity coverage, and a recent NY Times story spotlighted how a C-section can be classified as a pre-existing condition that leads to higher premiums or a denial of coverage.

5. There is not a single health-insurance company that lists Invitro-fertilization among its covered procedures.

6. One of every ten women who work full-time do not have health insurance.

7. The survey also reported that 41 percent of uninsured women did not fill a prescription due to costs, as did 17 percent of women with health insurance. Additionally, 26 percent of women admitted to skipping or reducing a dose of their medication to make it last longer.

8. Most insurance companies do not cover oral or other birth-control methods, but will offer a small grant on elective abortions. In the same vein, most insurance companies will cover partially, if not entirely, anti-impotence medications such as Viagra.

9. Insurers rarely cover reversal surgery for tubal ligations, and women who have undergone mastectomies are often only partially covered, if at all, for breast-reconstruction surgery.

If you are an uninsured woman, the SWHR offers information on the following programs:
* The National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program. Provides free or low-cost mammograms and Pap tests for women over the age of 39.

* Maternal and Child Services. Provides health care for low-income women who are pregnant with children under the age of 22.

* Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Provides education on nutrition and child care for low-income, breastfeeding, and postpartum women. WIC also provides health coverage for children under the age of five.

***If you do not qualify for government-sponsored care, you may obtain care through free clinics, prescription drug assistance plans or temporary state insurance—to name just a few.
For more information on women's health research and assistance programs, contact the SWHR at (202) 223-8224 or the National Women's Health Information Center at (800) 944-WOMAN.