"Being a woman shouldn't be a pre-existing condition."

[Writer]

Wow. This was the part of Pelosi's press conference that really woke me, simply because I'm a 34 year-old woman, healthy, with no children yet who has not needed to test this aspect of my insurance policy.

So if I get a C-section that's a pre-existing condition?

If I suffer injuries due to spousal abuse, that can be a pre-existing condition?

And most importantly - and I did not know this before - being a woman is a pre-existing condition that translates into higher premiums than my husband???

Wow. If there's not a better reason to pass this bill, then this is it.

Pass the bill. For women.

[mikelgb]

1. Yes it should. But, pre-existing conditions should not be reasons to deny healthcare.

[RT Atlanta]

2. K&R for my wife and daughters

Nancy's comments really bring the gravity of the situation home.

[kestrel91316]

3. Women pay more for LOTS of things - haircuts, dry cleaning,

and of course medical insurance. It's the way the good ol' boys have ALWAYS done bidness.

[dflprincess]

4. It can depending on where you live

Minnesota does not permit differences in premiums based on gender.

[Gormy Cuss]

7. The vast majority of states don't have such laws.

State laws as of 10/2009:

Ban using gender as a rating factor in any insurance policy: Montana

Ban using gender to set premiums in small-group markets: California, Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon, Washington

Limit how much gender can influence premiums: Delaware, New Jersey, Vermont

No gender protections: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2009/10/26/gvsb1026.htm?WT.rss_ev=a%26WT.rss_f=Women+pay+more+for+health+care%26WT.rss_a=Women+pay+more+for+health+care

[vaberella]

5. You've heard about this NOW?! A yeast infection is considered a pre-existing condition.

That means every female on earth has a pre-existing condition.

[LiberalFighter]

6. Too bad they don't declare stupidity a pre-existing condition.

[tavalon]

8. Stupak being a fine example

Doesn't the pre-existing conditions ban not start until 2014?

[tk2kewl]

9. well, it is actually a pre-existing condition...

the point is that pre-existing conditions should not come into play in the quality of ones health care.

[frazzled]

10. What--having babies is a pre-existing condition?

We need help from males to do that, you know. And we're contributing to our country by producing the next generation of doctors and scientists and artists and caregivers. They should pay us.

So screw that. We are NOT a pre-existing condition. Check your prostate.

[tk2kewl]

11. it is a not meant to be inflamitory

being male is also a pre-existing condition. my point is that there are all sorts of things that pre-exist and one's gender or any other "condition" into which one is born should be entirely beside the point.



edit for grammar

[Rage Inc.]

12. Amen

Kicked and rec'd

[denimgirly]

13. Gotta give credit to these Companies in figuring out every combination and permutation to making $$

Yes indeed, being a woman is indeed a pre-existing condition.
When you think about it Insurers are not the bad guys...they are doing what they are legally bound to do...make money by any means necessary (assuming its legal). So considering women as some kind of disease has been long accepted and profited from by the entire industry and backed by the U.S. government (composed of both men and women).

What is strange is that it took this long before government realized this....or at least got over the dangling cash from these insurance lobbyists.

C-section is a pre-existing condition....stay classy U.S. Health care system!