by David Katz, MD, PREVENTION, on Tue Nov 4, 2008 9:37am PST
The New York Times reported that women typically pay more for health insurance than men of the same age -- at least they do between the ages of 19 and 55. The issue is contentious enough that members of Congress are, per the Times, beginning to look into it.
This will doubtless prove a rather thick plot, but for now, the principal justification offered up by insurers is that women in this age group use more health care than men. They are charged more, because they cost more.
Of course, in part they cost more because they do some things men don't do particularly well -- like, for instance, taking care of themselves; and making babies.
Some experts in women's health are pretty incensed about this, and I've heard charges of 'sex bias.' On the other hand, the idea that insurance cost is tethered to risk is pretty fundamental. It's not considered 'bias' when smokers pay higher premiums.
Houston -- and every other city in America -- we have a problem. We have once again stumbled over our basic health care indecision: is it a right, or is it a privilege?
If it is a privilege, then maybe it's just too bad if women bear not only the biological burden of bearing children, but the financial burden for the health care costs of doing so. But to be honest, I have some trouble with that...
If we are all only here thanks to Mama, then frankly, we should indeed thank Mama by sharing the health care costs associated with propagation of our kind. Mama already did the hard part. Had she not, there would be no insurance company executives around to hold her financially accountable. (
Click here to see how your zip code affects your health care.)
But addressing this is a slippery slope issue. If we say that men should share the costs of health risks unique to women, does it really stop there? Aren't there closely related arguments for 'pooling risk' more generally? Men don't suffer the health care costs of child birth, but they are beneficiaries of those expenditures. If we start looking at all risk in terms of comparable degrees of separation, we might find -- the horror -- that we are all in this together.
Just something to think about.
ARTICLE: Did you know women pay more for health insurance? 
