Fight Erupts Over Health Insurance Rates For Businesses With More Women
Jenny Gold, KHN Staff WriterOct 25, 2009
<>The Pennsylvania home health care company Linda Bettinazzi runs is
charged about $6,800 per worker for health insurance – $2,000 more than
the national average for single coverage. One reason: nearly every one
of her 175 employees is a woman.
Insurers say women under the
age of 55 cost more to cover because they use more health services, and
not just for maternal and infant care. . . . .
Gender rating is the norm today . . . But advocacy groups for women argue
that charging more for women than men is discriminatory and should be
illegal . . . .
The battle is playing out on Capitol Hill through the debate on health
overhaul legislation. If a new law results in nearly all Americans
having to carry insurance, the industry has said it would agree to end
rating based on gender and health status in sales of policies to
individuals and small groups. But the leading industry trade group and
some of its legislative allies have balked at ending such rating in the
group market where larger employers purchase coverage. . .
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