Health Care Costs More Burdensome For Women
Even women who have health insurance often do not obtain the care they need and struggle to pay medical bills, according to a joint report by nonprofit advocacy groups the Commonwealth Fund and the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC).
Written by Elizabeth Patchias and Judy Waxman of the NWLC, the study examined the difficulties women face in obtaining and paying for health care. The analysis was based on data from the 2005 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), the 2004 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), and the 2005 Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey.
Researchers found that 26% of non-elderly adult women are uninsured for all or part of a given year, compared with 32% of men. However, insured women are more likely than men to have less stable sources of health care coverage: 24% of women are insured through their spouse’s employer, compared with 11% of men. In addition, more women than men purchase insurance on the individual market, which is more expensive and harder to obtain than group coverage. In general, the study noted, women have less access to employer-sponsored insurance than men because they are less likely to be employed and are more likely to work part-time when they do have a job.
Compounding these problems are the comparatively low earnings of women and their tendency to use more health services than men, researchers said. Women’s reproductive needs require them to get regular check-ups, and women are more likely than men to take prescription medications on a regular basis.
Because they earn less but use more medical services than men, women incur higher out-of-pocket costs as a share of their income than men, according to the report. Faced with these challenges, women are also more likely than men to report having difficulties obtaining the health care they need: In one survey, 43% of women indicated they have faced cost-related problems in accessing care, compared with 30% of men. Moreover, 38% of the women reported having problems paying medical bills, versus 29% of men.
“Women are more likely than men to go without needed health care services because of costs, yet they still have higher out-of-pocket expenses. This disparity exists for both insured and uninsured women,” said Waxman, vice president for health and reproductive rights at the National Women’s Law Center. “As policymakers and advocates explore how to expand and improve health coverage, they should ensure that any proposal provides comprehensive benefits and low cost-sharing.”
