First Lady: America Owes Health Care To Seniors

Eight in 10 mothers say theyre the ones responsible for choosing their childrens doctors, taking them to appointments, and managing the follow-up care. And over 10 percent of all women are now caring for a sick or elderly relative.

Our entire lives as women, we are asked to bear much of the responsibility for our familys health and well-being. And yet, we often face special challenges when it comes to our own health insurance. Part of it has to do with the fact that women are more likely than men to do part-time work or to work in a small business -- in jobs that are less likely to offer the kind of insurance that you really need. In fact, over half of all women in this country dont have the option of getting insurance through the workplace at all.

But even women who do have insurance face inequities under the status quo. Because women make less than 80 cents for every dollar their male coworkers make, its more difficult for them to pay their premiums -- especially when studies show that theyre paying far more than men for the same coverage.

And I dont think anyone here will be surprised to learn that a recent study found that one-third of all women have either used up savings, taken on debt, or given up basic necessities just to pay their medical bills. And as many of you know firsthand, these kinds of problems -- the problems of coverage and cost -- only grow worse when you get older, making quality, affordable coverage harder to come by just -- as weve seen today and heard today -- just when you need it the most.

In the individual market, people in their early 60s are more than twice as likely to be denied coverage than people in their late 30s. Older women are more likely than men to face a chronic illness, but theyre less likely to be able to afford the cost of treating that illness. And in recent years, studies have shown that women over the age of 65 spend about 17 percent of their income on health care. And thats just not right.

Our mothers and grandmothers, they have taken ...

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• michelle
• Obama
• obamacare
• healthcare
• seniors
• AARP

[chewbaca1989]

Wow, what a crock of...

These folks are out of their minds.

[zackiuk]

CANT BE BOTHERED TO EVEN LISTEN TO IT .