Paul Tonko: “Thank you, Representative Garamendi. One of the things you talked about with the influence or the focus on women's…”

“Thank you, Representative Garamendi. One of the things you talked about with the influence or the focus on women's health care reminds me of the preexisting conditions that are precluded now as a rationale for denying insurance. And ``preexisting'' might mean, in youth, asthma; in our senior population, emphysema or cancer recovery or cancer struggle. But it can also mean in a gender-related bias--being a woman. That is used as a preexisting condition. Being a woman is a preexisting condition. So the benefits to women, as you outlined in the direct services, the screenings, the mammograms and the like, are a portion. The other portion is just being born a woman can deny you insurance. So, when you talk about the 30 cents on the dollar that the voucher would carry for the Medicare recipient, and they're asked to go shop, this is saying that compared to today's standards, it's the senior digging much deeper into her pocket. It's the senior digging into another pocket to be able to afford his Medicare voucher portion. And that's unacceptable. That is playing to a special interest. That's what I believe the espoused virtue of this deny, this repeal, is about.…”