A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT WOMEN’S HEALTHCARE

Presented by: Women’s Advocate Erin Roberts CIS Fall 2010

Created for: Delan Jensen Salt Lake Community College

There is a problem with healthcare today for women. Women face issue’s like heart disease and die from it more per year then men. A mom’s health and her babies’ are at stake, they do not have equal access. There are government funded programs, but these can be lacking. Women’s healthcare has grown the last twenty years but more must be done. There is no guarantee for women and pregnant women in America. Many other countries consider care like this to be a basic human right.

ROAD BLOCKS TO GETTING HEALTHCARE OPRESSION T hese problems also mean returning often to the doctors for follow-up treatment. “Twenty-one million women and girls went without health insurance in 2007, and another 14 million relied on coverage through the individual insurance market. 3” For reproductive care women have to go to the doctors more often to get mammograms and obstetric care. For reproductive care women have to go to the doctors more often.

THE FACTS ABOUT WOMENS HEALTH CARE COMPARED TO MENS Women are less likely to work full time then men.(52% versus 73%). Even when working for an employee that offers coverage, 1 of 6 is not able to take it. They end up either covered through a spouse (41%). Single women are twice as likely to be uninsured than married women (24% versus 12%). 7 7 Women’s premiums are higher during the times of their lives to be having children. A 22 year old woman may pay 1.5 times as much premium as a man her same age.

THE REASON SOMETHING MUST BE DONE FOR WOMEN’S HEALTH We see women really struggle in comparison to get health insurance. More women die from heart disease per year then men do. For women there are also many cancer problems. Cancer is the second deadliest thing that women face. Of eight women one will get breast cancer in their lifetime. Melanoma is the most common cancer that women will get ages Ovarian cancer is another cancer issue for women is the fourth most deadly.

In America, women have the highest percentages for anxiety disorders. It is said that depression is the most significant mental health problem for women. Growing health concerns for women are eating disorders, anxiety problems, and depression. Getting out of an eating disorder means a lot of health care ranging from hospitalization, nutrition counseling, and treatment from a psychologist. Women have many reasons to need healthcare coverage and better health care.

SHOULD HEALTHCARE BE A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT Yes, especially for pregnant women and her innocent unborn baby’s life. About 13% of women who are pregnant each year are not insured. Some insurance does not think of pregnancy as a pre- existing condition. Medicaid is for those who are already pregnant. For those who don’t qualify, prenatal visits and the delivery are very expensive. Jennie Joseph “ Maternal mortality is a domestic human rights crisis that kills hundreds of American women every year.” 2 or 3 women die daily from problems in pregnancy or birth, near deaths also a year.

“ Mothers are dying not because the United States can’t provide good care, but because it lacks the political will to make sure good care is available to all women,”. By the time a women has gone through all loops to get Medicaid she may be 20 wks. pregnant. Also through Medicaid unless a woman is very poor she will lose it 60 days after giving birth. “ The unwillingness of the United States, however, to guarantee pregnant women access to quality maternity care contributes to the high number of childbirth-related deaths from common causes. Standardized protocols exist but are applied inconsistently, and too often race and economic status are factors.”

There are things like HIPAA for pregnant women, but there are still loopholes. Women have a waiting period for the preexisting condition. HIPAA also only is applied if it is a group health plan. For women there are things like Pregnancy Discrimination Act. But these do not apply to jobs that do not offer any healthcare coverage.

There are new health care laws that are going to improve coverage. Health plans will start to have specific screenings and other services for expecting mothers It will fund research for postpartum Through five years 1.5 billion will be given to home visiting programs. Medicaid will be able to help those with up to 133% of the federal poverty level.