Health Care Reform

Floor Speech

Ms. RICHARDSON. Women comprise over 50 percent of the population. In the 2008 Presidential election, 53 percent of the people who voted were women. And indirectly, when women are involved in anything, any major decision, it impacts all family households because women are becoming more and more the primary breadwinner.

On Sunday, this Sunday, a part of Women's History Month, we mothers, sisters, brothers, and dads will have the opportunity to cast an historic vote that will improve health care for all Americans and long-awaited gains for women in particular.

What women have to gain from this bill. Number one, no more gender ratings. Right now a gender rating system is used by many insurance companies in the current health care system to charge women more than men for the same health care insurance. Discriminatory practices are allowed in all but 12 States. With the health care reconciliation bill, women and men will be charged the same price for the same coverage. It only makes right sense.

What is the second thing we will do? You will no longer be able to see women struggling that they will be denied their coverage based upon preexisting conditions. Women are often denied coverage because of past pregnancies, C-sections, and domestic violence injuries. With the new health care reconciliation bill it will be illegal, and that only makes sense, to deny women coverage or charge them higher rates based upon any supposed ``preexisting conditions.''

And then what is the third thing? Expanding access to employer-provided health care insurance. Can you believe that right now less than half of American women receive health care through their employers? Why? Because more women work for small businesses, and they also work more part-time than most men. So because of that, their ability for health care insurance is hindered. With the health care reconciliation bill, small businesses will be able to afford health care and good choices. By joining with others in the exchange, they will have an increase in their purchasing power. And then most importantly, there will be tax credits to make it affordable for small businesses to have coverage.

And then what is the fourth thing? By this, when you look at currently, doing away with copays and deductibles for preventive care. Many women forgo preventive care such as mammograms because of the prohibitive high costs. With the health care reconciliation bill, which makes sense, we can emphasize the importance of preventive care and early detection. We can eliminate copays and deductibles for preventive care. And most importantly, we can encourage women to go to their doctors regularly, protect themselves from debilitating medical crises, and oh, by the way, save money too.

Women have much to gain with health care reform. Women, when you consider it, we also have much to lose for continued nonaction and status quo. What women stand to lose if reform does not occur, women will continue to be subjected to discrimination. Right now many women are being charged 48 percent more than men for the same health insurance. It doesn't make sense and it is not right. We cannot continue to condone this discrimination in America.

If reform does not occur, women will be denied coverage based upon preexisting conditions. And in eight States, including where we reside now, the District of Columbia, women are still being denied health care because they might have been victims of brutal domestic violence. If reform does not occur, some women will not receive health care even when they are pregnant and they need it most.

Women need the peace of mind that they and their baby will not have to worry about skyrocketing health care costs. Many companies today right now continue to not include maternity coverage. And as I close, this would mean that 79 percent of the women in individual markets today do not have maternity coverage.

Americans face discrimination. All Americans are currently facing discrimination with our failed health care policies. And women, their fate is even worse. The final reconciliation version of the health care bill includes equal access to affordable, quality health care for women and for all Americans.

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