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Press Release

May 15, 2009

Susan Davis Moves to End Health Insurance Discrimination Against Women

Davis cosponsors bill that would prevent health care insurers from charging women higher premiums than men

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) and Rep. Richard Neal (D-Mass.) introduced legislation to end discrimination against women seeking health care coverage.  The Women’s Health Insurance Fairness Act (H.R. 2402) would prevent insurers in the individual market from charging women higher premiums than men.

There is a practice among some insurers to charge women higher premiums than men for the identical coverage.  There are also cases where women have been denied coverage based on a “pre-existing condition.” 

For instance, a woman who has had a Cesarean section in the past can currently be charged a higher premium, imposed a waiting period, or denied coverage until she has been sterilized or can no longer bear children.  

“There is no federal protection to stop these practices,” said Davis. “It is simply unacceptable for women to charged higher premiums or denied coverage because of their gender.  This bill will mean more women will get the health care coverage they need.”

The Women’s Health Insurance Act would affect women seeking health care coverage who either do not have access to an employee-sponsored plan or those women who earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid. 

The Kaiser Family Foundation recently found that 5.7 million American women in 2007 received health insurance on the individual market.    

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