[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 34 (Wednesday, March 14, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1345
             LACK OF HEALTH INSURANCE FOR LOW-INCOME WOMEN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). Under a previous order of 
the House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Solis) is recognized 
for 5 minutes.
  Ms. SOLIS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to talk about the deplorable 
lack of health insurance for low-income women. Nearly 4 in 10 poor 
women are uninsured. Four in ten.
  We know that health care coverage is critically important for low-
income women because they cannot afford to pay for health care out of 
their own pockets. Without health insurance, women may decide not to 
get needed health care because they cannot afford it. Despite the fact 
that our country has experienced large economic growth over the past 
few years, the proportion of low-income women who are uninsured 
actually rose 32 percent to 35 percent. Clearly, our Nation's economic 
growth has not reached all segments of our society.
  This problem is even more pronounced for immigrant and minority low-
income women. Mr. Speaker, 51 percent of low-income Latinas are 
uninsured. That is more than half. Among uninsured Latino adults in 
fair to poor health, 24 percent of women have not visited a doctor in 
the past year. These are women who are not in good health yet nearly a 
quarter of them have not seen a doctor in 12 months. 42 percent of low-
income Asian- American women are uninsured.
  Nearly 1 in 5 low-income women are immigrants, and over half of those 
are noncitizens and they are uninsured. Without health insurance, where 
can they go for quality health care? Less than a quarter of low-income 
noncitizen women have job-based health coverage.
  Medicaid, or Medi-Cal as we know it in California, has traditionally 
been a source of support for these women, helping them to receive 
needed health care services. Unfortunately the changes made in the 1996 
welfare law hurt low-income women. The 1996 welfare law separated Medi-
Cal from welfare and put new requirements on people receiving cash 
assistance.
  Although the new law pushed people into leaving welfare and onto the 
job rolls, many of those jobs are low skilled and low paying. Many of 
those women remain without any form of health care coverage and so do 
their families. Let us provide them with affordable health care.

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