Local Women React to Higher Health Insurance Premiums
ABC 7 recently ran a story about “a new study” (which they don’t identify, but I think is this [PDF] ), which “finds women pay thousands of dollars more than men on comparable health insurance plans.” The station interviewed local women about the findings; most of them expressed dismay at the inequity in the numbers. “Given that in order to bear children, it usually involves a man and a woman, it would seem that the cost would be distributed more evenly,” said Anita Ballantyne. One local woman, though, wouldn’t be satisfied with equity:
“I’m actually amazed something like that would actually happen,” said Kathleen Mandazi of D.C. “If anything, I would think that we should be getting better costs on things than men do.”
Wha? Does this make any sense to anyone? I’d be pretty satisfied if health insurance premiums were just fair. And if salaries were fair. And if child rearing responsibilities were fair. The one commenter on the online story wants some fairness, too.
“I didn’t hear anything about the car insurance rates that men pay compared to women,” the commenter wrote.
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4:04 pm
Men have been paying more in car insurance for years justified only by the accident rates amongst the male population vs. the female population. If the hospital costs are higher among the female population I can certainly see the insurance company’s form of justification for the higher rates. Many men and women alike have made the decision not to have children, yet we (the people who choose not to have children) pay for the decisions others make in insurance premiums and taxes. Gender in this country is supposed to be something the government protects from discrimination. What is next, insurers charging more for coverage if you fall into a race which has been shown to cost them more? Fact is, yes, if you account for the relative cost of car insurance based on your zipcode and it’s demographics.
I certainly disagree with ANY form of discrimination.