"Health Insurers Agree to End Higher Premiums for Women"

I never intended to be a one note person and, chances are you know I am not, but this ERA thing keeps pouring through me.  I am absolutely certain that the explicit inclusion of all genders in the US Constitution will change the fundamental vibration of my country and, thus, the world.  It is easy to understand when I consider how it feels now without the ERA.  We kill people, thousands of people, to force countries to include all genders but here, it seems to be VERY important to NOT include everyone, as it has not passed in 86 years. 

It upsets me that I get pigeon-holed both by issue and age on this.  It is easy to perceive.  Dismissive people may think it is masked; be assured it is not.  What is the thinking on this?  That it is trivial?  Tired of listening?  Oh, pro-ERA people are dam tired of it and proof of its importance is easier to demonstrate everyday. 

New York Times, May 6, 2009, “WASHINGTON — Insurance companies offered Tuesday to end the practice of charging higher premiums to women than to men for the same coverage."  Maybe this admission by Karen M. Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans, a trade group, before the Senate Finance Committee did not register on your rector scale but it should.  Feminists have been writing, speaking, protesting about this for many, many years and, more importantly, the gender disparity held by health insurance companies has been identified as the primary obstacle to the ERA. 

Ellie Smeal explained that the ERA wasn’t lost in the public square, but behind closed doors ~ Insurance companies, banks, and other corporate interests thought the amendment would be bad for business.  Insurance companies would no long be able to charge women higher health insurance premiums, deny pregnancy coverage, or pay less on women’s annuity plans because of a longer lifespan.  Banks would have to give credit to women on an equal basis. 

Charging women more for insurance, covering Viagra and not birth control pills; simply put ~ fining women for their biology is BIG BUSINESS.  And big business means very big campaign donations.   I know there are campaigns for the Equal Rights Amendment going on in non-ratified states.  I know people are spending hours and dollars working on legislators to pass the amendment in three more states. 

But this news, that the insurance companies may charge people equally, may just be the lifting of the biggest obstacle to realizing my dream of the ERA. 

Comments

[Lani]

I didn't realize Viagra is covered by insurance and birth control pills are not! Very interesting analogy to compare womyn's biology to big business. Now that I have job (real job, not student job) with benefits, I am becoming more aware of issues related to health care. I never had health insurance before!