I prepared the following handout for a class I am taking this summer. The current healthcare system is for sure not designed from a woman’s perspective, and it creates inequities in healthcare access and services..

WOMEN AND THE HEALTHCARE DEBATE: WOMEN SHOULD BE INVOLVED 

 ·                      Women’s healthcare needs are generally greater than men’s, particularly during their reproductive year 

·                      Our current system makes it more difficult for women to obtain and afford the healthcare services they need

 ·                      Our healthcare system is designed to rely heavily on employer-provided healthcare insurance

 o          This does not work well overall for women as a gender

 o         Approximately 40% of all women are employed full-time, whereas 60% of men are employed full-time 

o         Many of those women employed full-time work in smaller companies which do not provide health insurance to their employees 

o         The remaining 6 out of 10 women – those who are either employed part-time or not employed at all –  have little access to employer-provided insurance on their own behalf 

o         That majority of women (60%) must generally rely on private insurance, public programs, or insurance provided by a spouse (in some instances a significant other). 

·                      Private insurance which is available for purchase is likewise biased against women. 

o          Many companies charge as much as 1 ½ times more in premiums for women during their reproductive years than for men. (H.R. 2635, currently pending in the U.S. House of Representatives, would rectify this disparity).

 o         The majority of insurance companies exclude coverage for childbearing, and many exclude pap smears and mammograms, major reasons women need healthcare coverage.

 o         Over 10 states permit insurance companies to exclude coverage for FDA-approved contraceptives.

 o         At least 9 states allow insurance companies to deny applications from victims of domestic violence (while numbers vary, women are the vast majority of victims of convicted domestic violence offenders).

 ·                      Women overall make less in income than men and therefore cannot afford healthcare to the same extent. 

o         Women employed full-time make approximately 80% that of men working full-time. 

o          More working women work part-time, which is generally paid less than full-time work. 

o         Women as a group work fewer hours than men. 

o          In a recent survey, more than 50% of all women reported delaying or avoiding health care services as opposed to 39% of men.

 ·                      President Obama and Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, have pledged to address the disadvantage women experience in obtaining access to the healthcare arena.

 o          The U.S. Congress is in the midst of intense debate this summer regarding healthcare reform. 

o         All women - and men who have a mother, wife, daughter, sister, or friend - should inform themselves about these issues and express their opinion regarding them to each of their elected U.S. Senators and Representatives.     

I still plan to travel, but…..  for those who cannot, or those who love to travel - I highly recommend Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss.  

I have loaned (given) to the same friend many times, but plan to refuse the next time she asks.  Compulsive gambling and shopping continue to cause the debts.  While she tries and tries to overcome the problems, I feel I have become an enabler.  It is a sad situation as I am afraid it will cost me our friendship.

Hey guys - I am 55 and my husband is 79 years old. We fell crazy in love with each other 12 years ago and have a wonderfully happy marriage. I will forever treasure the time I have with my current husband and regret the age difference only because it is probable that I will be a widow far too soon. I was previously married for 14 years to a man 4 years older than I - maybe we had grown up listening to much of the same music, but being in the same generation had nothing to do with the closeness of our souls.

Focus, folks. I don’t know what is too old. I am married to a 79 year old wonderfully great and brilliant man - still working and contributing to our community (I am 55). You can be bright and informed, and well-intentioned, at quite a late age (as well as being a smart-ass who needs humbling now and then). And, there is no doubt there is much to learn and benefit from an older person. BUT (and you knew it was coming) - Does that person represent the majority of America?? Does he/she understand the majority of America?? Does his/her experience of the globe provide a perspective that the majority have experienced? I don’t think so. A person who grew up in the 30’s simply has a different point of view.

Sen. Claire McCaskill from Missouri

Oh, Edith - Don’t you think we are all rather glad that the world is a bit messy? I just don’t believe I would feel comfortable in a neat and tidy world.

Pat yourself on the back - you have worked hard and done very well. Be thankful for your talent, intelligence, and good health. Appreciate the love and support from your family and friends. Reflect and make sure you are living true to your core values and priorities. Life is short - Make the most of it!!!

Of all of the women on this site, Mary Wells seems to repeatedly irritate me. I am really pretty privileged in my world - but, still, I just do not relate even a little bit with the world she is living. I am bright, well educated, successful - but reality has imposed itself on my life too much and too many times - I just do not relate - and yet why is it that I seem to want that somehow. You are lucky, Mary Wells. I hope that you know that.

I am sad today because I am removing WowOWow from my bookmarks. Yachts???? I had admired many of the women who started this site and I had hoped for some cyber-connections with women I would not otherwise meet in life. I am bright, I am successful, I am somewhat interesting. But life has humbled me, most recently with a college-aged daughter diagnosed with epilepsy. I don’t relate to yachts or even the interest in yachts anymore.

I want to hijack the conversation. There are many of us not plugged into either of the coasts. We are bright, we are educated, we are really pretty cool (at least that is what we think) - have been to China and Peru and all sorts of places, enjoy New York theater and opera as much as we want. But we love our slower midwestern pace, drifting on a canoe on slow and absolutely crystal clear rivers, sitting on the front porch watching our dogs dig up the newly planted bulbs. We are lawyers who, yes, at age 50 decided to become nurses so that we could give back and work in needed areas both at home and abroad. Can we dialogue with those of you who are way “cooler” according to conventional wisdom, devoting your lives to a much more public and recognized existence? There is a divide, you know - and there should not be.

I am responding to my own post, as I sound like a crank. I love Candice Bergen - I just simply do not relate to $800 sandals (and I do love shoes - more around the $80 - $100 range). It is all relative I suppose and we all get used to living at the standard of living we become accustomed to. Truly, I am not so worried about me - or the impact of prices on my life. I have a great home - I’m getting a new Smart car - I go out to restaurants when I want - and I pretty much buy new shoes when I want. I worry more about my girls (age 21 and 24) - They are bright but they don’t have things to prove like their mom and so will be more content simply living a life. They will have difficulties saving the money for a down payment on a home. They will have difficulties if they have major health care expenses. They will have difficulties going on the wonderful trips I have been able to take them on around the globe. They will have difficulties “living the American Dream”. It’s not about $800 sandals at all - most of us don’t care about that. It’s about wanting your children to dream and achieve. I am worried my children do not dare to dream.

Candice moved to LA where nobody notices anything unusual about sandals that cost $800 - $1,200???? I guarantee Candice is not talking to the regular folk in LA. I am a lawyer in the midwest with professional family and friends in LA. They are not spending $800 - $1,200 on sandals.