Despite our booming economy and record low unemployment, more women than ever lack health insurance. A recent study by the Commonwealth Fund found one in four women under age sixty-five are either uninsured or have been without medical insurance at some point in the past year. That's twenty-one million women who have no regular doctor, very limited access to potentially life-saving screening procedures such as Pap tests or mammograms, and little chance of getting a prescription if they cannot afford it.
The problem is simple to define, but the reasons why are complex.
These women are not deadbeats. The vast majority work or are married to workers. It's the new economy that impedes them. Many jobs today are in service industries that in many cases offer no health insurance to workers or their families.
Another problem is many of these women have more immediate concerns than health. As a freelance writer, I depended on the Welfare system to supply my children with health insurance. And even when I took a job, I still was unable to obtain health insurance because I worked part-time. Once again I depended upon Welfare to help us through.
Welfare reform also has exacerbated the number of uninsured women. Welfare recipients automatically receive health insurance from the Medicaid program. As people go off the welfare roles and have to fend for themselves, health insurance often is an early casualty.
The Commonwealth Fund study shows that single earning less than $35,000 a year are at greatest risk of being uninsured. To be sure, single men are also at high risk. The difference is that not having health insurance poses a greater burden for women because they tend to need more medical services. Biology and family status are the reasons why. First, women are much more likely than men to have dependent children who need regular care. And women need more regular preventive care, such as Pap smears, mammograms and pre-natal care.
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