Health
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For Health or Money: The Motivation Behind New Mammogram Guidelines
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Will You Have To Ask Your Employer For The "Abortion Rider"?
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AIDS Becomes Leading Cause of Death for Young Women
Friday Femme Fatale: Bishops, Ann Kuster & Global Gag Rule
Published November 13, 2009 @ 09:52PM PT
It is with regret that I must say this is the last Friday Femme Fatale I'll be doing here at Change.org for awhile. We're adding some new voices to the blog in the next few weeks, so hopefully we will be able to cover as much as we do in these weekly wrap up posts all the same. Be on the look out for additional writing from new authors here on the site. I'll still be here as the editor, so don't worry too much.
After this week, there has been a lot of news about the Stupak amendment and what it means, which we have already written about here on Change.org, but below you will find links explaining more about it and other stories you may have missed in the fem-o-sphere:
Health Care Passed in House, Women Used As Political Poker Chip
Published November 09, 2009 @ 08:22AM PT
I don't know about you, but today I have a health care hangover. After the House of Representatives passed the Affordable Health Care Act this weekend, which include the vitriolic Stupak-Pitts amendment, my emotional and mental well has been completely drained.
While the 220-215 vote cleared the way for the Senate to begin debate on the bill, the battles that occurred on Saturday offered a sobering reality of just how far we have to go before women are considered as more than a political poker chip.
But before I go on about how reproductive choice is seriously threatened by the Stupak-Pitts amendment, let's go over the positive parts of the bill that were passed on Saturday night:
- Lower taxes for gay couples who receive health benefits from employers.
- Nutrition labeling requirements for snack food sold in vending machines and many restaurants.
- A new program to teach parents how to interact with their children.
- The House legislation would require most Americans to obtain health insurance or face penalties.
- Most employers would have to provide coverage or pay a tax penalty of up to 8 percent of their payroll.
- The bill would significantly expand Medicaid and would offer subsidies to help moderate-income people buy insurance from private companies or from a government insurance plan.
- It would set up a national insurance exchange where people could shop for coverage.
While these provisions certainly make me happy that we are doing something to reform America's "sickcare" system, I am ultimately disturbed that it was passed at the expense of women's access to reproductive health.
Friday Femme Fatale: Social Media, Book Lists & Beth Ditto
Published November 06, 2009 @ 11:22AM PT
This weekend I am taking a reprieve from the bright lights of New York City and heading to Washington, DC for a few days to do some speaking at the Pledge2Protect conference and visit old friends.
Additionally, for those who wonder what I do over at my full-time gig, Air America Media, I just published this column today in SmartBrief titled: Can social media save the radio star?
I hope you all are gearing up for some rest and relaxation this weekend as well, but before you unplug completely check out the stories you may have missed in the world of women's rights:
- Social Media Salary Report: Ladies, It's Not Pretty (Social Media Today)
- No. 1 Omission From Top 10 Book List: Women (New York Times)
- Jewish Women Lag Behind Men in Promotion and Pay (Jewish Daily Forward)
- At the UN, Criminalizing Rape as a Weapon (Women's Media Center)
- No More Women's Unhealthy Healthcare (Feminist Peace Network)
- Beyond Breast Cancer: "Awareness" Must Extend to Other Women's Cancers (RH Reality Check)
- Beth Ditto On Punk, High Heels And Breaking All Fashion's Rules (Air America Media)
- The day-care dilemma (Market Watch)
Photo Credit: Air America
Friday Femme Fatale: Mammograms, Pink Taxis & Lap Dances
Published October 23, 2009 @ 02:21PM PT
I don't know about most of you, but I spent a majority of this week battling a terrible cold. No, it wasn't the "Swine Flu" - but hopefully my writing this week hasn't suffered too much under the influence of various cold medications. You'll have to tell me...
Anyways, here's the latest news in the women's rights arena, just in case anyone tells you the "battle of the sexes" is over:
- The Big Thaw: Charting a New Future for Journalism (Media Consortium)
- Why Has It Taken So Long For ACS To Change Its Tune On Mammogram Benefits? (Feminist Peace Network)
- New Grants for Women Media Entrepreneurs (McCormick Foundation)
- Women, Mothers, Families and Reform (The White House Blog)
- Lap Dances at Yahoo's Hack Days? A Lesson in Monitoring a Global Brand (Fast Company)
- Mexico's pink taxis cater to fed-up females (AP)
- A New Era for Global Women's Rights? (Campus Progress)
- Roman Polanski's rape (Boston.com)
- Demi's Sex Slave Crusade (The Daily Beast)
- 10 Facts on Female Victims of Violence (Department of Justice)
- Fight sexist attacks against women in politics (Women & Politics)
- Benefits and Risks of Cancer Screening Are Not Always Clear, Experts Say (New York Times)
- How the Media Treat Murder (Newsweek)
Cartoon credit: Peaco Todd
I Am Not A Pre-Existing Condition
Published October 20, 2009 @ 02:18PM PT
Perhaps the most stunning revelation in the health care reform process is the finding that being a woman is essentially a pre-existing condition in the eyes of insurance companies.
We've heard about how being a victim of domestic violence, being pregnant or having had a previous c-section can prevent a woman from qualifying for private insurance. Despite how shocking this all is, it becomes really problematic if a public option is not included in the health care reform package when and if it is ever passed.
Today, the National Women's Law Center is trying to raise awareness about these issues and more by announcing a new public awareness campaign called "Being a Woman is Not a Pre-Existing Condition." The goal of the national campaign is to educate women about the disparities they face in health care coverage and rally them to contact their Members of Congress to demand that Congress pass health reform legislation that works for women.
The Case For Health Reform: "When Insurance Companies Win, Women Lose"
Published October 11, 2009 @ 07:00AM PT
Just wanted to make sure the Change.org readers saw this important information from SEIU about how women are discriminated under the current health care system and why it is so important to pass comprehensive health care reform WITH the public option.
Today, insurance companies charge women 48% more than men for the same coverage on the individual market.
- In 2008, 14.5 million American women purchased health insurance through the individual market. According to a recent study, these women pay up to 48% more in premiums than men
- This discrepancy is due to an insurance industry practice known as "gender rating," which permits insurance companies in most states to charge men and women different premiums for the same coverage
- In all but 12 states, insurance companies are completely free to continue this practice
Many insurance companies don't provide maternity coverage, calling pregnancy a "matter of choice" and C-Sections are a "Pre-Existing Condition."
- A 2008 study found that just 12 percent of individual market plans include comprehensive maternity coverage
- Defending the practice, one insurance official called pregnancy a "matter of choice."
- In addition, many insurance companies consider C-Sections a "pre-existing condition," while in Colorado, a subsidiary of United Health, one of the biggest insurance companies in the nation, "simply rejects" women who have had C-Sections.
Today, insurance companies are free to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence.
- In eight states and the District of Columbia, it is perfectly legal for insurance companies to deny coverage to victims of domestic violence - and insurance companies are happy to take advantage of this loophole.
- Rationalizing this practice, one health care official infamously argued that covering a victim of domestic violence would be akin to covering "a smoker who doesn't stop smoking." [USA Today, 6/2/94]
- In 2006, ten Senate conservatives voted to kill a proposal that would have ensured coverage to victims of domestic violence. [Sens. Alexander, Burr, Ensign, Enzi, Frist, Gregg, Hatch, Isakson, Roberts and Sessions; CQ Committee Coverage, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Markup, 3/15/06]
President Obama and leaders in Congress have outlined specific reforms that would end these and other abusive insurance industry practices.
The reforms being advanced by the White House and Congress would:
- Make "gender rating" illegal.
- Prevent insurance companies from denying care on the basis of pre-existing conditions.
- End "rescission," or the insurance industry practice of canceling someone's coverage when they get sick.
- Set limits on out-of-pocket expenses.
- Provide competition and choice.
Photo credit: Torsten Mangner
Friday Femme Fatale: Astronauts, Welfare & Real Women
Published October 09, 2009 @ 04:21PM PT
It's been yet another crazy week. From live-tweeting at the United Nations conference on disarmament to meeting Women for Women International founder, Zainab Salbi, to being surprised (but not shocked) at how far anti-choice lawmakers will go to take away reproductive choice - I can say with a lot of relief, "Thank GOD it is Friday."
In case you had a busy week just like me, here are some of the stories you may have missed from the fem-o-sphere. Enjoy.
- Flipping the Script on Poverty (Color Lines)
- California's Zigzag on Welfare Rules Worries Experts (New York Times)
- Dear Mom, Beck has history of sexist comments (Media Matters)
- Daylight Lessons from Letterman's Late Night Escapades (Women's Media Center)
- Universities Target Rape Prevention Through Alcohol Awareness Program (RH Reality Check)
- Sakena Yacoobi's Vision for Afghanistan (Women's Media Center)
- Army's 'Resiliency' Training Misses The Point (Nancy Goldstein)
