[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 40 (Thursday, March 18, 2010)]
[House]
[Pages H1629-H1630]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Richardson) is recognized for 5 
minutes.
  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

[[Page H1630]]

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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