Elizabeth Edwards: McCain’s individual market for health insurance discriminates against women.
By on Jun 24th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Elizabeth Edwards: McCain’s individual market for health insurance discriminates against women.
Writing at the Wonk Room today, Elizabeth Edwards, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, points out that the individual market for health care — as advocated by Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) — would discriminate against women. Edwards explains that health care insurers “‘rate-up’ my insurance bill for not only my status as a breast cancer patient, but also my gender,” noting that women are forced to pay more for health insurance:
The point is that the insurers have given us just another example about how the individual market is fundamentally broken. Embracing it as the solution to our health crisis – as the McCain plan proposes to – will only make matters worse.
Read her full post at the Wonk Room.
Sort Comments By: Top Rated | Date
47 Responses to “Elizabeth Edwards: McCain’s individual market for health insurance discriminates against women.”
View Most Popular
Advertisement
What We're About
What We're Fighting For
What We're Fighting Against
Featured
Subscribe to the Progress Report
Topic CloudView topics sorted by popularity
Boehner
Bush
Bush Legacy
Cheney
Civil Rights
Congress
Corporate Ethics
DADT
Economy
Energy
Environment
Ethics
Fox News
Gingrich
Global Warming
Guantanamo
Hannity
Health Care
International Relations
Iran
Iraq
Justice
LGBT
Limbaugh
Liz Cheney
McCain
Media
Military
O'Reilly
Obama
Palin
Pelosi
Race
Radical Right
Religion
Rove
Sanford
Sotomayor
Steele
Supreme Court
Terrorism
ThinkProgress
Tiller
Torture
Women's Rights
Visit Our Affiliated Sites
Reports
In-depth studies on select topics
Got a hot tip?
Have a hot news tip? We'd love to hear from you. Use the form below to send us the latest.
ArchivesBlog Roll
im dealing with the health care crisis head on. yesterday I went to the doctor and they lied to me and said they'd called in to medi-cal to get a procedure done. then when I got home I called medical myself and they told me that there was nothing on order and that the doctor/nurse had lied to me.
why? because my doctor is Swamped treating anchor babies.
not a pretty picture.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:54 amGovernor Terminator is proposing steep cuts to your medi-cal program, right old_hack?
June 24th, 2008 at 11:56 amElizabeth Edwards' point about women having to pay more for health insurance solely due to their gender is well taken. It's insane that under our current system that the people who potentially have the greatest need for health care are the people who increasingly can't get it because of greedhead profit makers who only want to work with the narrow slice of the population they can make the most money off of.
And McCain just wants to enhance the very factors that are killing the system.
I pray that Americans wake up.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:57 amWhere's Darryl to preach at the "FREE MARKETS!" pulpit?
June 24th, 2008 at 11:58 amArnold is actually a decent governor for a republican. He just gave medi-cal a Boost in its budget. He's trying to deal with the Billions of dollars we're losing annually treating people that have Never paid taxes.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:00 pmmisshusseinmolly Says: Elizabeth Edwards’ point about women having to pay more for health insurance solely due to their gender is well taken.
According to the bibles, women are inferior, therefore our healthcare isn't as important.
The sooner we remove the religios nuts from government, the better.
Counties who treat women as equals see better health rates, lower crime and a higher standard of living. Countries who treat women in this manner experience more crime and lower standards of living.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:06 pmMcCain is more concerned about protecting the profit margins for Insurance companies than he is about the health of the peons.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:08 pmA business that discriminates should be out of business.
It's always so telling that the right goes on the offensive to claim that we dislike the free markets, when we're laying out a set of reasonable rules to enhance the quality of access, products and services that ultimately benefit businesses.
The businesses simply don't want to follow rules, and that's where lobbyists are added to the payroll. Earnings and ethics cannot be lumped together with many of these honchos.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:08 pmold_hack Says: why? because my doctor is Swamped treating anchor babies.
Another consequence of treating women as equals to men is a reduction in the birth rate, and a reduction in infant morality.
ALL parents all round the world need to become responsible and stop having so many children. There are already more people on this planet than it can support, and it's not only selfish, but harmful to these children to increase the population.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pmi can't even see my doctor for an entire week because my doctor is having to work in the emergency room... the emergency room is where migrants go because they don't have insurance.
all because rednecks in the south want to pat themselves on the back by defeating legislation that would Identify these people.
stupid rednecks always in the way.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pmRight on, unbelievable.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:14 pmrogerse Says: Its just like car insurance, the higher risk gender and/or age groups, based on statistics will have higher rates to counter-balance the risk of insuring them.
By that logic, then men should pay more. Testosterone causes men to take risks that women wouldn't, therefore increasing the liklihood that men will need medical attention more often than women. Pay up!
June 24th, 2008 at 12:16 pmrogerse:
June 24th, 2008 at 12:16 pmbreast cancer aside how might this be explained as men are far more of an insurance risk?
rogerse Says:
Its just like car insurance, the higher risk gender and/or age groups, based on statistics will have higher rates to counter-balance the risk of insuring them.
Do you enjoy raising a dumb comparison, turning away from the computer while those who can think explain why it's dumb, then wait until the opportune moment (today) to reintroduce that dumb comparison?
June 24th, 2008 at 12:17 pmMcWars Says: Right on, unbelievable.
Thank you.
It's funny, a year ago, I was getting blasted for not being tolerant of religious intolerance, misogyny and general divisiveness. A lot has changed in that year... :D
June 24th, 2008 at 12:19 pmrogerse Says:
Its just like car insurance, the higher risk gender and/or age groups, based on statistics will have higher rates to counter-balance the risk of insuring them.
i'd like to sell you a policy.
will you be home after five this evening?
do you know the difference between
whole life and
term insurance?
study these materials.
good luck.
*
June 24th, 2008 at 12:23 pmrog,
are you a non-smoker?
*
thanks.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:25 pmlife expectancy for one.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:25 pmrogerse Says:
If that was true, then it would be descrimination, so what numbers do you have to prove it?.
we have a good spellers discount.
you're not getting it.
discrimination
you can at least try to learn, can't you?
good luck.
*
June 24th, 2008 at 12:28 pmThere is no such thing as a "higher risk gender", POS idiot.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:28 pmracist_rogers and McGrampa would also support race/ethnicity-specific health insurance rates too.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:29 pmDr. Hussein Matt Says:
There is no such thing as a “higher risk gender”, POS idiot.
Are you sure? Every retirement home I've ever visited had a ridiculous ratio of women to men, 10 or 20 to 1. I thought that women had a much longer life expectancy than men.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:31 pmrogerse:
June 24th, 2008 at 12:36 pmMen rtend toward much more frequent accidental injury and disabilities based on stupid risk taking behaviors and also job related risks. In addition they aslo are more likely to display high risk behaviors such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and other substance abuse.
That's the point isn't it, that it IS discrimination. One of the primary reasons women cost more is CHILDBIRTH. Do you know what that is? Of course you people want to pay women less for the same job but then you want her to pay more for health insurance. Creating a permanent underclass is the favorite pastime of you rethugs isn't it?
June 24th, 2008 at 12:37 pmrogerse Says:
so then lets talk about men being decriminated for care insurance…
this makes no sense.
have you been drinking?
help is a phone call away.
good luck.
*
most major insurance plans are gladly accepted.
&
June 24th, 2008 at 12:38 pmWomen on average live slightly longer than men. This is a different issue. Racist_rogers is talking about risk of disease. For any given specific disease one gender or the other has a higher risk that given disease. For example, men have a higher lifetime probability of cancer overall (but there are gender-specific rates for any given cancer as well) and heart disease while women have a higher lifetime probability of diabetes.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:38 pmWhy? This is a different issue, you f**king moron.
*Flagged* off-topic
June 24th, 2008 at 12:39 pm*Flagged* off-topic
June 24th, 2008 at 12:39 pmdecriminated for care insurance, eh?
Are they in Gitmo, or just holding cells?
What insurer is holding them hostage?
Is this where State Farm went?
What do you presently pay for care insurance?
June 24th, 2008 at 12:40 pmrogerse Says
June 24th, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Its just like car insurance, the higher risk gender and/or age groups, based on statistics will have higher rates to counter-balance the risk of insuring them.
__________________________________________
Except that there are a couple of differences between car insurance and health insurance.
1. If you are considered a high risk for car insurance, it's generally because you have a crappy driving record -- in other words, it's a situation you had some control over. Most of the factors that put someone in the "high risk" category for health insurance are beyond that person's control.
2. If you can't afford car insurance, you can choose not to drive. Unfortunately, you don't have the luxury of choosing not to get sick.
There is, however, one big factor in common between the two. People WILL drive and get into accidents without car insurance, and people WILL get sick without health insurance (often requiring emergency room care -- the most expensive kind). When this happens, we will all pay the costs anyway -- usually by increasing premiums on the people who do have insurance. And making insurance unaffordable for more and more people just means the rest of us will shoulder more and more of the costs.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:40 pmrogerse trying to play the victim. LOL!
Oh poor, poor white American male rogerse.
Grow up!
June 24th, 2008 at 12:42 pmrogerse Says:
yes, child birth is one big reason..its not a sickeness, but it still another cost.
rog,
this republican has a
solution for the high cost of child birth.
does he have your vote?
*
good luck.
*
June 24th, 2008 at 12:53 pmTo: All the people that say men should have higher health insurance premiums than women.
No. Sorry. Women on average cost insurers MORE than men do. Health Insurance actuaries are pretty good at what they do. Elizabeth Edwards is right, McCain's Direct Pay plan is broken.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:58 pmrogerse Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
#28 Shayne Says:
yes, child birth is one big reason..its not a sickeness, but it still another cost.
June 24th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah , another cost of spending time with a MAN , you moron ; when's the last time a woman knocked herself up , you retard..........
June 24th, 2008 at 1:01 pmThe point is that the insurers have given us just another example about how the individual market is fundamentally broken. Embracing it as the solution to our health crisis – as the McCain plan proposes to – will only make matters worse.
Private health insurance serves two purposes only, a source of profit and to provide unequal access to healthcare where those with money can pay their way to the front of the line. Single payer insurance is the only logical choice for working Americans but it would elimate both of the above advantages for the wealthy.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
June 24th, 2008 at 1:04 pmold_hack Says
June 24th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
i can’t even see my doctor for an entire week because my doctor is having to work in the emergency room… the emergency room is where migrants go because they don’t have insurance.
all because rednecks in the south want to pat themselves on the back by defeating legislation that would Identify these people.
_________________________________________
OK, I give. How would being able to identify "these people" cut down on their need for health care? And what legislation are you talking about?
Oh, and FYI -- even those of us who don't live in high "migrant" areas still lose our doctors to emergency room duty from time to time. Many medical practice groups have that kind of rotation, whether the emergency room is filled with "migrants" or not.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:07 pmThey are the children of men as well, idiot. You people don't require that insurance companies pay for birth control, you believe in abstinence only programs, you won't pass condoms out to teens, you don't believe in abortion and then you think people who can't afford to have children shouldn't have them.
Insurance companies don't pay for the vaccine girls can get to prevent HPV that causes cervical cancer in women. The vaccine costs $650. Well women get the virus from men but you people of course won't take the vaccine. They will however pay for your Viagra and Cialis while not paying for birth control. Why don't you look up discrimination in the dictionary and try to learn something instead of constantly sounding like an idiot.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:11 pmrogerse Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MCMetal Says:
women cost more dumb fu;k, you don’t know what your saying..
June 24th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Really , stupid shit ?
Based upon what ? The ramblings of a GOP backing suckhole such as yourself ?
Men are 2-3 times more likely to develop drug abuse/dependence disorder than women.Alcohol abuse is 4 times more likely ; you believe that type of lifestyle is "free" ?
You are the single most stupid fu(ker that posts here consistently ........That's quite an honor for you , isn't it , you sorry stupid little pissant.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:17 pmI'm glad somebody shares my opinion of rogerse MCMetal.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:24 pmrogerse Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MCMetal Says:
hey dumbass, I still don’t see any proof that men are higher insurance risk…’cause you don’t have any, just shut up.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Being many more times susceptible to drug and alcohol and even tobacco abuse/dependence doesn't put your health more at risk ?
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Shut the fu(k up , you impossibly stupid d0uchebag ; you're merely embarrassing yourself........
June 24th, 2008 at 1:32 pmShayne Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I’m glad somebody shares my opinion of rogerse MCMetal.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
GOP backing suckhole RogerRetard is a fu(king imbecile and nothing more.........
June 24th, 2008 at 1:35 pmHey
June 24th, 2008 at 1:37 pmHey
HEY!
I'm not sure if I want to be "decriminated for care".
Just sayin...
rogerse(rogerdo),
June 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pmWhy do you consider women second class citizens?
RxJ Says:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
rogerse(rogerdo),
Why do you consider women second class citizens?
June 24th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Because that's what they consider him to be (and with much better reasoning)
June 24th, 2008 at 1:47 pmrog,
i didn't realize how much you hate women,
why is that?
*
June 24th, 2008 at 2:05 pmrog,
is this an
abandonment issue
with you?
*
June 24th, 2008 at 2:24 pmI think most USA people, driven by the actual system, lose the perspective in the micromanagement they love so kindly. A breakdown of each and every health condition and factor to calculate a premium of a private insurance is simply inhuman and unfair, because always will exist a discriminatory frameset for a given case. The only non discriminatory answer is Universal Healthcare, and by Universal I mean for everybody living in the USA, not only citizens. Accountability zealots (=cold heart Repuplicans) would ask how to pay for it. I ask, how many life saving surgeries and/or drug treatments can be done with the cost of a single missile or aircraft or submarine? Think.
June 25th, 2008 at 7:36 am