Healthcare Reform: Battle of the Sexes

Health insurance premiums for Minnesota working families have skyrocketed, increasing 74 percent from 2000 to 2007, and this is certainly not unlike premiums in other states around the U.S. This statistic alone is enough to make most people agree that we need healthcare reform. NOW. The problem is clearly not about whether or not there’s a problem; it’s agreeing on a solution.
Enter women’s healthcare as a tactical battleground. “…opponents are increasingly getting desperate, and looking for ways to create general fear and paranoia about health care reform, which means that gender and sex are becoming a bigger part of the noise.” RH Reality Check’s "Reality Cast" is a good place to start when trying to understand of healthcare reform through the lens of women’s health.
The truth? Healthcare reform is turning into a battle of the sexes. In the absence of health reform, more and more women and families will lose their health insurance, with an estimated 67,750 Minnesota residents losing coverage between 2008 and 2010. An opinion piece in The Nation Magazine explores the sad fact that much of the current healthcare policy being proposed “leav[es] essential care such as pelvic exams, domestic violence screening, counseling about [STIs], and…the provision of birth control off the list of basic benefits all insurers must cover.” This is unacceptable.
Even Michelle Obama is defining healthcare reform as a woman's issue. Women in Minnesota (and everywhere) need healthcare reform. The National Women’s Law Center does a great job highlighting the reasons women need to make healthcare reform their issue. The Kaiser Family Foundation also provides us with a to-the-point factsheet on women’s health and supports our need for all women to have comprehensive insurance coverage.
Bottom line: read the articles, learn the facts, and stand up for healthcare reform that provides the healthcare women need. Healthcare reform is a women’s issue.