Seven of 10 women are uninsured or underinsured, have medical bill or debt problems, or problems accessing care because of cost, new study finds
New York, NY, May 11, 2009—Women are more likely than men to feel the pinch of rising health costs and eroding health benefits, with about half (52%) of working-age women reporting problems accessing needed care because of costs, compared to 39 percent of men, a new Commonwealth Fund study finds. Women who are insured but have inadequate coverage are especially vulnerable: 69 percent of underinsured women have problems accessing care because of costs, compared to half (49%) of underinsured men.
The study, Women at Risk: Why Many Women Are Forgoing Needed Health Care, by Commonwealth Fund researchers Sheila Rustgi, Michelle Doty, and Sara Collins finds that overall, seven of 10 working-age women, or an estimated 64 million women, have no health insurance coverage or inadequate coverage, medical bill or debt problems, or problems accessing needed health care because of cost.
“More families are making difficult choices between needed health care, making payments on mortgages or credit card debt, and purchasing basic necessities,” said Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis. “This study underscores the need for affordable universal health coverage and protection against catastrophic financial losses not only for women—who are more likely to be at risk for high premiums and medical bills—but for all Americans.”