[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 3528]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           HEALTH CARE REFORM

  (Ms. TSONGAS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. TSONGAS. Madam Speaker, some of the most egregious insurance 
industry practices in our health care system disproportionately harm 
women, and this needs to change. Under the current system, women pay 
more and get less and often are denied care. If a woman is of a certain 
age or is already pregnant, insurers can deny her, of all things, 
maternity coverage. In eight States, it is still legal for insurance 
companies to deny a woman coverage if she has been the victim of 
domestic violence.
  These examples illustrate how our current system discriminates 
against over 50 percent of the population of our country. And that is 
why I offered a motion on this important issue in last night's Budget 
Committee hearing. My Republican colleagues joined me in supporting 
this motion, acknowledging that heath care reform must end these 
harmful insurance practices. So many of the heath care reforms that are 
so important to women, families, and our Nation hang in the balance. We 
must pass these commonsense changes in our health care system.

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