Health care facts: Women pay more for health insurance

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/76652.html

Health care facts: Women pay more for health insurance

By David Lightman | McClatchy Newspapers



WASHINGTON -- Women of child-bearing age routinely pay more for health care because they're women. If they're pregnant, they can be legally denied coverage.

Women face other problems in today's insurance market: They tend to need more preventive care and therefore are subject to more co-pays and deductibles, and single heads of households are often women, meaning they're responsible for the family's health care bills.

Legislation now being considered by Congress to overhaul America's health care system would dramatically change the rules, and there's general agreement that this is a problem that needs fixing.

"This is very significant, particularly for women buying policies on their own," said Linda Blumberg, senior fellow and economist at the Urban Institute, a policy research group.

Bills moving through Congress would end the longstanding practice of basing rates on gender, which is allowed in most states. Legislation also would eliminate co-pays and deductibles for preventive care, require maternity coverage to be offered at reasonable rates and provide financial help for those who couldn't afford coverage.

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Preventive care is particularly important to women because they tend to need it more, particularly at a younger age. It can involve mammograms, more regular checkups, Pap smears and other tests.

More women are in lower income brackets, making it hard for them to get coverage. In 2007, 45 percent of women ages 18 to 64 were uninsured or underinsured, compared with 39 percent of men, according to a study this year by the Commonwealth Fund, an independent New York City-based health care research group.

"Women are in double jeopardy," said Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill. "They earn less than men, so even if we were charged the same premiums they would pay a bigger percentage of their income, and women are usually charged more."

I would guess the answer lies in an actuarial table. Given 10,000 women aged 30-35. The annual expense of the Ins. Co for healthcare will be X. And for 10,000 men 30-35 the annual expense will be Y. Divide 10,000 into X or Y and add 3% profit margin and you have the premium.

about how men get charged more for car or life insurance. Why shouldn't the insurance mentality be to find ways to treat us all like members of a group, rather than individuals?

Actuarial tables are a fine and dandy way to support discrimination. Ask any white cop, they'll tell you that statistically, people of color are more likely to be druggies, and that justifies extra suspicion for them.

What's wrong in one case is wrong in all cases.

and not teenagers but people in their 30's and 40'.

justify that if you can.

Women are more frequent users and bigger risks. At around age 50 men pay about 35-40% more for health insurance policies. That's why they go without more frequently than women

Why do men pay more after age 50? Do they suddenly get concerned about their health as opposed to women?

This article is very comprehensive about the actuarial differences:

http://www.insurancenewsnet.org/html/HealthInsurance/2009/0422/More-often-charge-women-than-men-for-individual-health-insur.html


Younger women definitely pay more for individual health insurance policies. But when a man hits 50 and especially 55 he will certainly pay more. My DH and i have been self-employed most of our lives. Most of our friends are self-employed as well so we all compare notes. Too bad self-employed people can't join a huge group. We get ripped off big time. DH and I pay near 800 bucks a month for 2 Blue Cross Blue Shield policies. We are over 50. Both policies are $10,000 deductible 70/30.

Health insurance policies for self employed were far more affordable when we were younger.The coverage was better. Times have certainly changed for the worse.

Babylonsister, the actuarial risks for men rises in middleage. Males are more prone to heart attacks, strokes and cancer after age 50. As you probably know they generally do not live as long as females.

it's getting more expensive as they get older and they find more maladies. I imagine it also gets more expensive for women as they get older, too, as we have our own health issues as we age.

but- they start out higher because of the whole baby thing. as they get older, like men- they may have higher risks of cancers, strokes, etc...but they also move past the child-bearing years- which kind of evens it out, from a risk/cost perspective.

become statistically more on a par with men's in terms of frequency (if not type) - increased healthcare need for both.

When the pipes are all working during the "exciting" years for women, then there's stuff happening that simply has no mirror for the boys.

So as it were, healthcare *becomes* an issue for boys (eventually), while it's *always* an issue for girls.

That's all pure guesspeculation, though.

God, I hate the insurance industry!

Nikki, you probably know that more and more people are 'permalancers' or independent contractors. That frees companies from paying FICA, SS, worker's comp, unemployment and healthcare. Plus they can more easily get away with discrimination.

"God, I hate the insurance industry!"

the ones to hate is congress- they could make insurance companies obsolete or even illegal in very short order.

insurance companies exist for ONLY ONE reason- to make money. same as any other business.
and they'll do whatever they can to keep making that money. same as any other business.

"we the people" have the ultimate power- unfortunately that power is wielded by our elected and so-called "representatives". THEY'RE the REAL problem, and where the anger should truly be directed.

I knew Minnesota didn't allow gender to be used for setting health insurance rates but
Washington, Oregon, Montana, North Dakota, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine also outlaw it.

http://www.seiu.org/2009/09/women-vs-insurance-companies.php

my same age in my same plan