Hagan: Women need reform
This week, a woman from North Carolina sent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan an email about her personal experience with health care.
The woman, Hagan recalled this morning on the Senate floor, told of how she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 27 years old, Barb Barrett reports. She had a 16-month-old son, and an abusive husband.
The woman wanted to leave the marriage, but couldn’t because she was tethered to her husband’s employer-based health care, Hagan said. She described how the woman looked to other health insurance options, but was told repeatedly that she couldn’t get coverage because she had a preexisting condition.
"For seven years, this woman stayed in an abusive relationship because she had to have health insurance for herself and her child," Hagan said in her speech. "Unfortunately, women across America face similar challenges."
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She pointed out that in eight states and the District of Columbia, health insurance companies can still deny coverage by labeling domestic violence as a preexisting condition.
She told of how her adult daughter had been quoted insurance prices at a higher rate than she would have had she been a man — a legal practice in most states.
And Hagan said that in many health plans, women are not offered preventative coverage for tests such as mammograms and pap smears.
Hagan joined other female Democratic senators this week to explain how the health reform bills in Congress would impact women. The bills prohibit preexisting condition and prevent insurance companies from discriminating against women, Hagan said.
"Women across America can not afford inaction any longer," she said.
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Sources: Under The Dome, C-Span, Youtube, Wikipedia, Google Maps
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