Who Decided Being a Woman Is a “Pre-Existing Condition”?
October 12, 2009Apparently, health insurance companies decided that.
There’s definitely a lot of noise in the healthcare debate, but this is an issue that deserves our attention and shouldn’t be ignored. Women’s health issues are distinctly different from men, and one startling issue that has come to light as a result of the current ongoing debate on healthcare reform is that women are getting the shaft from health insurance companies in more ways than one.
Having had a pregnancy is considered a “pre-existing condition” for which insurers can deny women coverage.
Being a victim of domestic violence is another pre-existing condition for which, again, insurers can refuse coverage to women.
Only 14 states require insurers to cover maternity care.
Bring a young unmarried woman is perhaps even more dangerous. According to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand:
under our current system a 25 year-old woman pays up to 45 percent more for the same or identical coverage [than her male counterpart.] And yet, some of the most essential services required by women are not covered by many insurance plans…[services] such as childbearing, pap smears and mammograms.
When did this become okay with us? And why? Why are we okay with making it harder for women to get access to affordable quality healthcare?
Insurance companies have decided that factors that are totally out womens’ control — like being beaten up by a spouse or getting pregnant or even the simple fact that they MAY get pregnant in the distant future — are reasons that women are too risky for them to insure. Women are charged up to 48% more than men in the individual market.
What gives me hope, though, is that this issue is getting a lot of attention. Last week it was in my face constantly — and I consider that a good thing. Activists and elected officials alike are both taking action:
Last week, Nancy-Ann DeParle, Director of the White House Office of Health Reform asked a question on LinkedIn: “What is the biggest healthcare problem in your state?” — she’s already received over 840 answers and is planning to include some of the most insightful ones in a soon to be released White House webcast on healthcare. At first glance, there’s already been several answers raising the issue of women’s access to health insurance.
Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic Women’s Working Group also hosted a press conference last week calling attention to the difficulties women have in obtaining problem access to health care.
Eight women Senators have been speaking out on the issue of gender disparity in our health care system. The video, if you haven’t seen it yet, is worth watching — it made me proud of the women we have elected to the Senate, who reminded listeners across the country that being a woman should never be considered a pre-existing medical condition.
I just hope their message gets through the heads of the right people.
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Great post, Nisha. Again, this was something I didn’t know and while I’m all for health care reform, this makes me want it even more. Thanks for shedding light on these issues.
“a 25 year-old woman pays up to 45 percent more for the same or identical coverage [than her male counterpart.]” That is ridiculous! Great post Nisha and like Modite said, thanks for shedding light on this issue. There needs to be much more awareness about this issue and it will be something I focus on next year. I am glad to see that women in Congress are speaking out and hope they continue to do so.
Great post. These facts are startling.
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I never knew that having a vagina was a pre-existing condition until last year. My employer had switched insurance carriers a couple of months before my annual well-woman exam. After the usual round of tests, including the pap screen, I got a letter from my insurance company saying that I had to get a HIPAA continuation of coverage letter from the prior insurer to ensure there would be coverage for pre-existing conditions. Never mind that the exam itself was not for treatment purposes, and no condition requiring treatment was uncovered during the exam….but when I pointed this out, they did not budge: I had to obtain a letter and demonstrate prior coverage just to have the exam itself covered. I luckily was able to do that…but I still wonder what they would have claimed was my pre-existing condition had I not been able to do so. Was it the simple fact that I have a vagina that needs yearly inspection (whether I like it or not?)
Just to play devil’s advocate for a quick sec, a 22-year-old man undoubtedly pays much more car insurance than a 22-year-old woman. And car insurance IS indeed mandatory if you own a car, whereas health insurance isn’t mandatory if you own a body (…yet.)
Thanks for bringing this important issue to our attention, Nisha. I don’t think I pay enough attention to my insurance and equality!
Hello,
Did you happen to catch ABCNews video on this subject? I just created a post regarding this and thought it would interest you.
http://wp.me/psfW6-8t
Dr. Linda Burke Galloway
We do or did get lower AUTO insurance because as a sex we are better drivers than males. We also as a sex live longer. Has anyone asked Nancy Pelosi about the pay or go to jail provision in the House version of the Health Care Reform bill? By the way if the bill prohibits abortion, I want to see 100% coverage for ALL EXPENSES for any child born with a serious illness (genetic or otherwise) when the mother was advised prenatally to get an abortion (ex Taysach’s, no brain, etc).
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