Women and Health Care Reforms In US
Healthcare reform in US brings good news for women. Because the gender based health insurance industry and due to the gender, women are greater sufferers. They used to pay more and get less in return. But with implementation of new healthcare reform and “Affordable Care Actâ€, hopefully the biased against women in health care will be removed.
In a study it was seen that as many as half of women delay seeking medical advise because they could not afford it, in compare less than 40% men (approximately 39%). Due to women suffering, their children also suffer. Before implementation of Affordable Care Act, women are being charged higher health insurance premiums in compare their male counterparts. Even pregnancy was treated as preexisting medical condition and frequently denied or charged higher health insurance premiums for that.
With introduction of Affordable Care Act by Obama Administration, everybody (men and women alike) can buy private health insurance. Women will be able to avail maternal benefits along with basic health benefits under new law/Act. Under new law men and women will have access to quality, affordable health insurance, even if they loose their job or changes in employment, illness, or relocation.
From start of 2014, Affordable Care Act will help in the following way:
- Under new Affordable Care Act, an insurance company can not deny any woman (or man) a health insurance due to preexisting medical condition or exclude coverage for that preexisting condition.
- Insurance companies can not charge more due to gender or a preexisting medical condition.
- Insurance companies can not charge whatever they want (a cap will be in place) a woman out of pocket and copayments and deductibles.
- For men and women their will be coverage for pediatric,, dental and eye care under new Affordable Care Act.
- There will be no annual upper limit of medical expenses for new plans and existing employer plans.
From 2011, the Affordable Care Act has reduced the gender bias:
- From starting of 2011, all insurance companies must prove that they must spend 80% of insurance premiums on medical expenses and not in non medical expenses such as salaries for executives, marketing etc.
- All insurance companies must justify the increase in premium to State Governments and States can prevent unjustified increase in premiums.
All the above mentioned benefits will hopefully able to remove/reduce gender bias against women, with previous health insurance plans.
Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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