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For Immediate Release: Thursday, February 26, 2009
Contact: Ranit Schmelzer or Adrienne Ammerman, 202-588-5180
NWLC APPLAUDS CALL FOR SWIFT ACTION ON
HEALTH CARE REFORM THIS YEAR
(Washington, DC) Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of the National Women's Law Center, applauded President Obama’s announcement that he is budgeting a $634 billion “down payment” for health reform. This action follows President Obama’s speech Tuesday night, where he called for health care reform this year based on the principle that we must have quality, affordable health care for every American.
“We commend President Obama for taking bold and concrete steps toward achieving health care reform this year,” Greenberger stated. “This underscores that President Obama is serious about pursuing health reform now, and that he and key members of Congress are allied with the American public – who are demanding that our health care system be fixed to provide quality health care to all, and get our economy back on track. For those who are going in to debt and going without the care they need, waiting is not an option.”
Women pay a particularly heavy price for our broken health care system. Even for those who have health insurance, women are more likely than men to have health coverage that has too many gaps, including large co-pays, life-time limits, and the exclusion of needed services altogether. The floundering economy puts even greater numbers of women at risk of losing what health coverage they do have, as they and their spouses lose their jobs and their benefits.
As health care costs climb through the roof, growing numbers of people simply can’t afford coverage. This scenario leaves women, in particular, at great financial risk; one in four women says that she is unable to pay her medical bills. The high cost of care means women are more likely than men to delay or go without needed health care. In fact, as an NWLC study demonstrated, women who have to buy insurance directly from health insurers are often charged more than men for the exact same coverage.
“No one should be forced to make the choice between buying prescription drugs or putting food on the table, between staying with an abusive spouse or losing health insurance, between losing a home or losing a battle with cancer,” Greenberger stated.
“And for women and families who thank their lucky stars that they have good coverage today, they live in fear that they will lose it tomorrow. Reforming the health care system means eliminating these fears, and it means health care we can count on when we need it. Right now, this peace of mind is being held hostage by those who would say that now is not the time for change. Yet the women of this country know that there is no time to wait.”
NWLC is actively working for reform that will provide quality, comprehensive, affordable health care reform that meets the needs of women and their families. NWLC’s project Reform Matters: Making Real Progress for Women and Health Care (http://www.nwlc.org/reformmatters), started in early 2008, empowers women to be vocal advocates in the fight for progressive health care reform. As an active member of several leading progressive health care coalitions, including Health Care for America Now! (HCAN) and the Herndon Alliance, NWLC brings a unique perspective to the table by advocating for the specific needs of women.
To learn more about NWLC’s work around women and health care reform, visit www.nwlc.org/reformmatters. To schedule an interview with Marcia Greenberger, contact Adrienne Ammerman at 202-588-5180 or aammerman@nwlc.org.
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