Today's White House stakeholder meeting on women's health care covered many issues impacting women in this country. Their conclusion? "Comprehensive health care reform is needed to level the playing field, and make health care accessible and affordable for all women."
The summit, attended by leaders of women’s health organizations across the country, explored a wide range of issues from how women navigate the system, to the concern over women trapped in abusive relationships (or jobs) because of fear of losing health care access.
This is a topic that affects every American and will be – should be - debated in every slice of our society. It is a controversial and expensive topic that has tentacles into every home and community. It is a topic of multi-layered hooks with implications on government, business, and individuals.
It is a topic whose time has come.
Get the facts. Not only on how these issues affect your personal situation, but on how this speaks to our values as a people. Understand the downstream impact of not serving the under served, of not addressing the aging, of the socio-economic and moral effect of the disparity of women’s health care.
The White House has information available to the public and invites our input. The federal government website, www.healthreform.gov, has gathered information from experts and the public and addresses these points:
• Women are more vulnerable to high health care costs than men.
• The current health insurance framework leaves too many women uncovered.
• Higher costs and inadequate benefits make the individual insurance market an unreliable choice for women.
• As a result, women are more likely than men to experience difficulty accessing care.
We should all have strong opinions on this subject, preferably opinions based on facts. Listen – learn - join the debate!
To me, the fundamental question is this: For Americans, is health care a right or a privilege?