Health Care: A Basic Right
Summary Statement of the 2009 Health Sector Assembly
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) believes that everyone is entitled to health care that is high-quality, affordable, and easily accessible. This position stems from AAUW's 2009-2011 Public Policy Program, which advocates: "increased access to quality affordable health care."1
There is no shortage of proposals regarding how health care reform should be achieved. For AAUW, the top priority is not the system itself which ultimately emerges, but rather the end result of reform that succeeds at providing access to quality and affordable health care for all Americans. While this is a priority in any circumstance, it is especially important during economic downturns, as health care security is intrinsically tied to economic security. This relationship is particularly true for women, who earn less than men on average and are therefore less able to afford insurance or care. AAUW acknowledges that there are immense challenges involved in achieving meaningful health care reform, but is equally aware that failure to do so is simply not an option.
When it comes to their own healthcare, women face a unique set of challenges. Women earn around 77 cents for every dollar men earn,2 but women also use more health care services than men do.3 As a result of these two factors — less income, more costs — women face a high level of health care insecurity. These factors all add up to too many women with unpaid medical bills and long-lasting debt problems as a result of health care services.4 This has stark consequences. In 2004, one in six privately insured women reported she postponed or went without needed care because she couldn't afford it, up from 2001.5
Such economic conditions become increasingly problematic over time. Not only are women less able to afford insurance or care because of life-long wage disparities, they face unstable coverage when subject to their spouses' plans, higher premiums in the individual market, a lack of access based on more prevalent preexisting conditions, and higher out of pocket costs than men.6 Rather than being able to receive comfortable access and receive quality health care, women are vulnerable to gaps in coverage and too many holes in the system.
As debate in Congress picks up steam, AAUW believes that the following key priorities must be contained in the final legislation:
- End the practice of "gender rating": Gender rating is the process by which insurance companies charge men and women different premiums for individually-purchased health care plans.
- Require coverage of women's reproductive health services: AAUW's 2009-2011 Public Policy Program advocates, "choice in the determination of one's reproductive life…increased access to health care and family planning services including expansion of patients' rights."7 AAUW has long believed that politicians should not insert themselves into the decision-making process when it comes to reproductive health care, which is a basic element of women's health care overall. As a result, AAUW firmly believes that health care reform legislation should require coverage of women's reproductive health services.
- Ensure access to and coverage of preventive services and care: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the two leading causes of death for women in America are heart disease and cancer8 – afflictions that can often be prevented if women have access to preventive care services such as screenings, immunizations, and educational material.
1 American Association of University Women. (June 2009). 2009-11 AAUW Public Policy Program. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/principles_priorities.cfm.
2 U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (September 2009). Annual Demographic Survey. Retrieved September 18, 2009, from http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/poverty08.html.
3 National Women's Health Center and The Commonwealth Fund. (April 2007). Women and Health Coverage: The Affordability Gap. Retrieved on December 4, 2008 from http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/NWLCCommonwealthHealthInsuranceIssueBrief2007.pdf.
4 Ibid.
5 Kaiser Family Foundation. (2005). Women and Healthcare: A National Profile. Retrieved January 16, 2009 from http://www.kff.org/womenshealth/7336.cfm.
6 National Women's Law Center. (April 2007). Issue Brief: Women and Health Coverage: A Framework for Moving Forward. Retrieved December 4, 2008, from http://www.nwlc.org/pdf/NWLCHealthInsuranceIssueBrief2007.pdf.
7 American Association of University Women. (June 2009). 2009-11 AAUW Public Policy Program. Retrieved July 9, 2009, from http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy/principles_priorities.cfm
8 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (September 10, 2007). Leading Causes of Death in Females – United States, 2004. Retrieved July 17, 2009, from http://www.cdc.gov/women/lcod.htm.
