On the recordMarch 20, 2012
This week the National Women's Law Center issued a report, an online survey of insurance brokers across the country; and what they found is something that every woman who owns a small business or tries to buy a policy on the individual market knows, which is that 90 percent of the best selling insurance plans charge women more than men simply because of the fact that they are women. This is a fact which is not denied by any of the major insurers--Blue Cross, WellPoint, Humana--which were all interviewed in a story in The New York Times a few days ago on this issue. This is not a debating point; this is a fact. In addition to higher costs, many insurance companies in some jurisdictions around this country deny women coverage entirely because of conditions which are characteristic of women, which is breast or cervical cancer, pregnancy, having a C-section, or even being a victim of domestic violence. As I said earlier, the Affordable Care Act will abolish all of these barbaric discriminatory practices starting in 2014. We are going to hear a lot of hooting and hollering this week about repealing ObamaCare, but those people who say that should look women in the eye in this country and tell them what you are going to do to end these discriminatory practices. The fact of the matter is they have no answer. It is time to stand up for this act. ____________________
