Women Issues Strong in Healthcare Reform Bill

In terms of the political path our country is now on, at the forefront of American minds is the new healthcare reform bill. The bill that the House of Representatives revealed this week seems to have one major driving force and, for once, it is not the almighty pharmaceutical company. There has been a lot of talk recently about insurance premiums and how gender plays a role in the amount of premium charged, so it is not surprising that women are playing a very large role in the health bill reform issue. The newly revealed bill has many sections that deal with pregnancy services, abortion coverage and exclusions for those who have pre-existing conditions (with mention of women who have been subject to domestic violence).

The bill pushes that even the most basic benefits package offered by insurance companies should include maternity coverage. It also states that abortions will not be covered by public funding with the exception of cases that involve incest, rape or the mother being at risk of dying due to complications from the pregnancy. This focus on women does not mean that male issues are not being addressed. There are many healthcare activists working around the clock to make sure their issues get addressed. Two examples include Cecile Richards (president of Planned Parenthood) who wants an increase in reproductive health services and Joe Theismann (former quarterback for the Washington redskins) who wants to increase screenings and awareness of abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Richards has been highly successful in lobbying for health reform with over 50,000 letters and e-mails sent to members of Congress and over 150 opinion editorials published in newspapers across the nation. Richards is not displeased about all the news coverage on women’s health issues. Richards states, “What we’re really worried about now is a nursing shortage if health reform passes. We’re having this problem at our family planning clinics in Massachusetts. We can’t seem to keep up with the demand.” Thus, it must have pleased Richards that the recently introduced healthcare bill has sections detailing coverage for nurses. One option discussed was an option to offer coverage for pregnant women and women who have recently given birth for nursing services offered at home. There was also a section detailing coverage for exclusive birth centers which would have staffs comprised of certified nurse-midwives. In addition, another issue high on Planned Parenthood’s list of reproductive services reform is teenage pregnancy which was also highlighted in the new health reform bill.

Theismann, on the other hand, wishes to raise awareness for abdominal aortic aneurysms. These are blood-filled sacs in the abdomen’s main artery that kill up to 9,000 men each year. Theismann was inspired to push for this reform after his father was diagnosed with one of these aneurysms and, fortunately, received treatment for it. If one of these aneurysms ruptures, only 10 to 25 percent of victims will survive it; however, there is a very simple ultrasound screening that can easily detect an aneurysm of this type and potentially save thousands of lives each year. Luckily, the new health reform bill is pushing for Medicare patients to be allowed these screenings.