Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Women Are Charged Much More Than Men for Health Coverage

By Ethan Kalvin

A current report with information from specific insurance brokers and health insurance companies, it states that women pay a lot more than men do for insurance coverage. The difference reported was surprising, reports The New York Times.

The most obvious factor as to why women's health care may cost more has to do with maternity care. Costs associated with giving birth are usually in the thousands of dollars- which is not appealing to insurers. Another reason could be that women pay more attention to their health, having more frequent doctor visits than males.

"[W]omen tend to be higher utilizers of health care than men. I am more conscious of my health than my husband, who will avoid going to the doctor at all costs," states an insurance actuary, Elizabeth J. Leif.

So there is hard evidence why a woman might pay more for health insurance than a man. But is it justified? In the Times article there was a great philosophical argument against such a disparity.

"Only women can bear children. There's an expense to that. But having babies benefits communities and society as a whole. Women should not have to bear the entire expense," pointed out Mila Kofman, an insurance superintendent who advocates for equal rates. - 16089

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