Women's Health Task Force

September 2009

Dear [Senator/Representative]:

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 using gender to determine
  premium rates.  As a result of "gender rating," women are typically
  charged more than men for the exact same health insurance, further
  compounding the affordability challenges that women face.
• 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,

American Association of University Women

American Forum

American Social Health Association

Association of Reproductive Health Professionals

Business and Professional Women's Foundation

Black Women's Health Imperative

Center for the Advancement of Public Policy

Clearinghouse on Women's Issues

Coalition of Labor Union Women

Dialogue on Diversity,INC

Digital Sisters, INC

ERA Campaign Network

Feminist Majority Foundation

General Federation of Women's Clubs

Institute for Women's Policy Research

International Black Women's Policy Institute

International Women's Democracy Center

Jewish Women International

National Asian-Pacific American Women's Forum

National Council of Negro Women

National Congress of Black Women, INC

National Hook- Up of Black Women

National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

National Organization for Women

National Partnership for Women & Families

National Women's Law Center

9 to 5 National Association of Working Women

The Younger Women's Task Force

Women's Information Network

Women's Institute for Secure Retirement

Women's National Democratic Club

Women's Research and Education Institute

YWCA USA