Health Insurance Industry ‘Comfortable’ with Prospect of Charging Women Same Low Rates as Men
As US lawmakers become more deeply entrenched in negotiations to devise a public healthcare plan that will provide fair and effective health insurance coverage to all Americans, including the 50 million Americans now without any coverage at all, the health industry is proving to be increasingly more adaptable than they were before Congressional debate began in earnest. In its latest concession away from business as usual, a spokesperson for the health insurance trade association says the industry is ‘comfortable’ with the prospect of providing health insurance coverage to women at the same lower premium rates they charge men with identical coverage. Currently, women’s insurance premiums are much higher than premiums for men with the same coverage.
Senator John Kerry (D-Mass) says the private insurance industry discriminates against women by charging them higher premiums for the same coverage men get or by omitting maternity care coverage from women’s coverage. These practices have made it especially difficult for self-employed working women to afford health insurance, a situation Kerry describes as ‘just plain wrong’ and says the situation must change. When insurance coverage is provided through an employer-based plan, the premium disparity disappears.
Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, says the industry is ‘comfortable’ with the prospect of charging men and women the same rates for the same degree of individual coverage. Ignagni served on a panel of industry representatives, healthcare providers, business and labor union representatives, and consumer advocates testifying before the Senate Finance Committee on May 5. Ignagni defends the current practice by saying medical expenses for women of childbearing age tend to be high.
As Congress is devoting more time to solving the healthcare crisis in the United States, the private healthcare insurance industry seems to be finding ways to rein in expenses while opening the possibility of private medical insurance coverage to the millions of Americans currently without it. Some recently proposed industry concessions include providing coverage even to patients with pre-existing conditions and discontinuing the current industry-wide practice of charging sick people higher premiums. The industry has also offered to submit to closer government scrutiny than is being allowed at the moment.
Swine flu (A-H1N1) and Healthcare In America
Well my fellow Americans, and people of the World. That was yet another very close potential catastrophe. Especially for those of us that live in America with our busted, greed driven, private for profit healthcare system. What ever you do World. Don’t copy our current healthcare system.
If that virus (A-H1N1) had emerged just a few months earlier our busted healthcare system in America would have collapsed. Just like our economy almost did. And hundreds of thousands more Americans, if not millions would have needlessly lost their lives. As hospital ER’s became choked with the sick, and dying.
All on top of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who needlessly lose their lives in America each year from a rush to profit by the private for profit healthcare industry. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Insured, and uninsured. Men Women, Children, and Babies.
This was yet another big WAKE-UP! call for America, and for our Government. It’s time for Congress to end the debate. And stop dancing around the issues of how they can continue to try and justify protecting the private for profit healthcare industry, and the private for profit healthcare insurance industry. These industries are killing hundreds of thousands of Americans every year in America, and endangering our National security.
“the health-care system is, first and foremost, for the American people—not the companies that profit from it.” (Tom Daschle | NEWSWEEK)
IT’S OVER! The Private for profit healthcare experiment in America is dead. It FAILED! And it was a DISASTER!
“NOT FOR PROFIT, TAX PAYER SUPPORTED, SINGLE PAYER, AUTOMATIC, FREE UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE FOR ALL. Is the ONLY! way to go.
Essentially HR676 (enhanced, and expanded medicare for all). Just like every other CIVILIZED! country in the developed World has. There is no other way to truly fix or reform our current disastrous healthcare delivery system. NONE!
Congress, fix our healthcare crisis while you still have time.
President Obama, VP Biden, the Obama administration and the rest of his advisors, along with Speaker Pelosi and Harry Reid are doing an excellent job of protecting you. And also an excellent job of representing you and the best interest of the World. But it’s time for the rest of Congress to get on board.
To those of you who keep standing up and fighting for single-payer universal healthcare for all. YOU! are Americas true HEROES! And I am proud of you.
Don’t let up.
I will have more to say about this VERY! unusual virus (A-H1N1), and flu in general, later. There are some things you really need to know and think about… All of you.
Till then, God Bless And Keep You All
Jack Smith — Working Class