COVERAGE: Women Pay More, Get Less, in Health Care

We've noted the disparities in cost and coverage that women face in the health insurance marketplace before. The Department of Health and Human Services and the White House are taking notice too. Their report Roadblocks to Health Care: Why the Current Health Insurance System does not Work for Women highlights some worrisome statistics about women and health care.

Women often have a more difficult time finding health care coverage through an employer. Only 52 percent of women, as opposed to 73 percent of men, are employed full-time. Of those women, only 48 percent are able to get employer-sponsored health coverage, versus 57 percent of men. Women are twice as likely to be on a spouse's plan, and single women are two times more likely to be uninsured than married women.

Purchasing health care coverage on the individual market is also problematic for women. The anti-discrimination laws that protect women with employer-sponsored coverage do not apply to the individual market—so women pay premiums based on pre-existing health conditions, age, and gender. Not only is maternity excluded from coverage in most individual plans, women are generally charged more for coverage during their reproductive years. For example, a 22-year-old woman can be charged 1.5 times more in premiums than a 22-year-old man, all other factors constant. In some states, women can also be denied coverage if they have been victims of  domestic violence.

In total, about 21 million women and girls are uninsured. The lack of access to care providers is a significant problem as women need routine screenings such as pap smears and mammograms. The report said that women are more likely to have such chronic conditions as joint pain, headaches, or psychological distress—and they are more likely to struggle to get access to that care. Nationwide, 52 percent of women report delaying or avoiding care because of cost concerns, while only 39 percent of men had the same problem. Nearly half of women who do seek care report problems paying their bills, and one-third had to use up their savings, go into debt, or give up basic necessities to pay medical bills.

"We know that the status quo just isn't working,"  Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in an online statement about the report. "All Americans are suffering under the current system, but women are paying a particularly heavy price."