How the Health Care Reform Bill Benefits Women

When the House of Representatives passed landmark health care reform on November 7, 2009, it signaled many changes for women, most of them beneficial. The historic health care reform bill "America's Affordable Health Choices Act" (H.R. 3962) contains provisions intended to expand coverage to millions of Americans currently uninsured, and end the sort of gender discrimination that has routinely been practiced by the insurance industry for years.

How does the health care reform bill benefit women? It will:

• Extend coverage to uninsured Americans through a government-sponsored "public option" plan. Far fewer women than men are eligible for employer-based coverage and either cannot afford comprehensive coverage in the individual health care market or cannot obtain it; thus many are under or uninsured. A study cited by a House committee report noted that over 50% of women delayed seeking medical care because they couldn't afford it, as compared to 39% of men.
• Prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage based on pre-existing medical conditions. For years, women have been the target of punitive, gender-based practices with insurance companies treating pregnancy, a c-section, even domestic abuse as a pre-existing condition. Under the new bill, women in these situations cannot be denied coverage.
• Eliminate the practice of charging higher insurance premiums to women based solely on their gender. As Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) stated on the Senate floor, "We pay more and get less. A 25 year old woman is charged more than a 25 year old man, and at age 40 it's up to 50% more." The bill would do away with this 'gender rating' - an insurance industry practice that has long been accepted as the norm.
• Require insurance companies to provide coverage to all children (if the enrollee chooses this option) and accept children up to age 27.
• Require maternity coverage, well-baby and well-child care. Essential coverage will include basic maternity care and will be available to everyone. Well-baby care is included under any minimum health care plan, along with well-child care including dental, vision and hearing for kids up to 21 years of age.
• Provide much-needed benefits to older women. As Rep. Jan Schakowsky noted in her remarks in support of the bill, "We ensure older women not yet eligible for Medicare can buy affordable coverage. We improve Medicare. Senior women will be able to afford preventive services like cancer screenings because we eliminate cost sharing. We close the doughnut hole so they can afford their medications."

Countering these many benefits are a handful of restrictions that limit reproductive choice -- measures opposed by abortion rights supporters, but deemed necessary by House members who feared that pro-life Democrats would vote against the bill if limits on abortion coverage were not defined.

The House bill prohibits abortion coverage in any public option plan except in the case of rape, incest, or if the mother's life is in danger. Abortion coverage would still be included in private insurance plans, but those individuals who purchase private insurance would not be able to choose plans including abortion coverage if they receive any form of federal subsidies.