August 14, 2009

The National Council of Women’s Organizations, representing 12 million women nationwide, supports health care reform that guarantees fair and affordable health insurance to all.  Considering the myriad ways that our health system currently fails women and their families, it is no wonder that in a recent poll more than 76 percent of women said they thought our current health care system should be reformed or radically changed.  Women’s well-being—and that of their families—depends on health reform that meets their needs. There is no more urgent priority.

Many of the challenges women face in the current health system are related to cost.  Women are generally poorer than men—earning just 78 cents for every dollar men earn—and they also use the health care system more, in part due to their reproductive health needs.  As a result, women spend a greater share of their income on their health needs. Regardless of whether they have insurance, they are more likely than men to report cost-related problems with accessing health care.  More than half of women have forgone necessary care because of cost, and one-third have made a difficult trade-off, such as giving up basic necessities, to get health care.  In total, seven in ten women are either uninsured or underinsured (i.e., they have coverage but still spend more than they can afford on health care); struggling to pay a medical bill; or are experiencing another cost-related problem in accessing needed care.  

Given women’s struggles to afford the health care they need, it is critically important that any health reform bill includes strong affordability protections:

 Health reform must leave intact the job-based coverage that most women have while ensuring that affordable, portable coverage options exist for those without access to employer-sponsored health benefits or expanded safety-net health insurance programs.

 A new national public health insurance plan—which promises to provide women with a lower-cost, high-quality choice for themselves and their families—must be among these new options for coverage.

 Affordability standards must consider the burdens of premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, by incorporating both subsidies that provide meaningful financial assistance to low- and moderate-income women and families, as well as annual limits on all out-of-pocket costs.

 Health reform must prohibit insurers from imposing annual or lifetime benefit caps, which have a disproportionate impact on women since they use more care than men.

 Copayments and deductibles should never serve as a barrier to accessing the care women need to stay healthy.  Health reform must limit or eliminate cost-sharing for preventive and screening services, including pregnancy prevention.

 Government, employers, and individuals must share the duty of providing or obtaining health insurance; shared responsibility builds on the existing system of health financing and will help ensure that coverage is affordable for women and their families.
Health reform must include these strong affordability protections.  For many women and families, an assurance of affordability will mean the difference between accessing quality health care and going without.  It is equally important that a health reform bill is financed in a fair and equitable way, that does not put an increased financial burden on the very women and families that are struggling to afford health care now.
The magnitude and urgency of the health care crisis demands bold action. To do anything else is morally and fiscally irresponsible.  We urge you to put politics aside and not lose sight of this historic opportunity to enact systematic reform that dramatically improves health insurance coverage as well as guarantees access to quality and affordable care for all. The National Council of Women’s Organizations stands ready to work with you to realize the ultimate promise of health care reform.

Sincerely,
Susan Scanlan, NCWO Chair