Medical Coverage for Women

Going to the doctor is rarely a fun trip. It can be stressful, confusing and uncomfortable. For more and more American women, it also can trigger a financial panic attack.
Recent studies have shown that women face unique barriers to becoming insured and they are more likely to be under and uninsured. Our current system is a patchwork of employer-sponsored insurance, state programs and individual commercial policies. Every insurance company or government program has its own requirements and bureaucratic qualifications that often leave women with nowhere to go.
While men and women face many of the same problems to getting insurance, women are more likely to report cost-related access problems. Ttend to work at lower paying jobs or at part-time jobs where insurance is simply not provided.
Many women are insured through a spouse’s insurance. If their husband loses his job, dies or the couple divorces these women are left with few options for coverage. Twenty-four percent of women get their insurance through their spouse, compared with only 11 percent of men. This “dependant coverage” is important, but is also less stable. Many companies are cutting dependant coverage all together because of the high costs associated with providing insurance coverage for entire families.
Horse trainer and riding instructor, Pam Wagenheim knows all too well what can happen when a spouse’s job no longer provides insurance. Wagenheim relied on her husband’s plan to cover her medication for asthma. After their divorce she was left with few options. She paid her own premiums for six months through the COBRA program.
“It was awful,” she said. “I was on it for the maximum amount of time but it was really expensive.”
COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, is a federal program that allows people to continue their employer-sponsored health coverage after they are no longer covered by the company. The United States Department of Labor list qualifying events such as: voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan.
Dependants can often take advantage of the program if they lose coverage too. The problem is that the individual is now paying the corporation’s share of the premium as well an there own plus an extra 2 percent.. This becomes prohibitively expensive very quickly.
Wagenheim applied for coverage with Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
“They both turned me down,” she said. “Blue Shield because of my occupation and Blue Cross because of my asthma.”
She finally found coverage through a company she found on the internet. Assurant Health offered reasonable rates at first but they didn’t cover the cost of medications for the 38 year old equine specialist. What’s more, the company stated that they would terminate coverage in the event of a pregnancy, but also refused to cover birth control pills.
Luckily, Medicare provides coverage for pregnant mother and newborns, providing vital services and prenatal care. The government also provides some insurance coverage for children and low income families through the SCHIP and Medicaid programs. While this coverage is vitally important for many people, it cannot begin to offer coverage for the 44.8 million Americans who need it.
Sarah Uribe spent her entire childhood in California and uninsured. The 22-year old Women’s Studies major lived in constant fear of getting sick or injured. From riding her bike to climbing a tree, any normal activity could potentially be a disaster to the struggling family.
“Mom always said as we were in the car - you know you have to die if you get in an accident because we can't afford to take you to the emergency room,” she said. “We knew she was joking, but not really.”
Uribe’s worst fears became reality when she fell off her bike at the age of seven. Her bike had hit a rock and the little girl broke her arm at the wrist, completely separating her hand from the growth bone.
“I thought my mom was going to kill me,” she said.
Eventually, Uribe’s mother was forced to admit that she could not treat her daughter alone and took her to the hospital. The local low-cost clinic the family frequented was not equipped for such an emergency. She had to borrow almost $3,000 from family and friends to pay for medical treatment including x-rays and a cast.
People who don’t qualify for government help and who do not have coverage through their employers are left to find insurance on their own. Many large insurance companies such as Aetna and Blue Cross offer individual policies. Because they are not part of a group policy, the premiums are high and coverage is subject to preapproval.
Aetna routinely denies coverage to women who have experienced irregular periods in their lifetime. They also screen for cesarean section deliveries and any past treatment for depression. Women are three times as likely as men to seek treatment for depression.
While California has a reputation of being a health-conscious, progressive state, women are no better off here than in the rest of the country. In fact, they may be worse off. Nearly one in five California women — or 20 percent — is uninsured, compared to the national average of 14 percent, according to "Nearly A Failing Grade: A Report Card on the Health Status of Women and Girls in California," a study released by the The Women's Foundation, the largest philanthropic fund for women in the western United States.
The study uses both national and regional health data and the foundation has issued grades in four areas: access to health insurance (F); health status of women and girls (C-); women's health and the environment (D); and California's health policy framework (C-) for an average grade of "D."
It turns out California has the highest state uninsured rate in the nation overall. Of the 7.3 million uninsured Californians, 2 million are women and 60 percent of them are employed. According to the study, women who are at the highest risk for being uninsured are the young (ages 19 to 24); widows over the age of 55, divorced women, or those who have retired; women of color; immigrant women; and lesbians.
Students in the California State University system have the option of applying for health care through the school. The Klotz student health center at California State University, Northridge carries information about their insurance program. Requirements vary for international students and the cost is not insignificant. For about $900 a semester, non-international students who are enrolled in at least 9 units can get some insurance coverage. Students must have also attended classes for at least 45 days.
As with an HMO, students are required to go to the health center before seeing an outside doctor. A referral is required for outside treatment unless it is an emergency. About 80% of treatment costs are covered.
“It’s expensive, but it’s really my only option,” said Sedara Jones, a 23 year old English major at CSUN. “I can’t get coverage with my parents, so this is kind of it.”
The CSUN plan is underwritten by Anthem Blue Cross and covers pregnancy and maternity care for the student, spouse and dependent daughter as well as normal delivery, cesarean section, complications of pregnancy and abortion. There is also coverage for the well-baby and well-child programs.
OF course, once students drop below 9 units or graduate from college, they are left to find health care coverage all over again.
Uribe and Wagenheim have both found good insurance coverage and are enjoying the security of knowing they can go to a doctor when needed. Uribe recently married and, like many other women, is insured through her husband’s plan at UPS.
“If I feel like I have the flu, I can actually go to the doctor,” she said. “There are more resources available to me.”
Uribe also suffers from a blocked nasal passage due to another injury suffered as a child – a broken nose. Lack of health care meant that her nose had to heal without the benefit of a trained doctor to oversee treatment.
“I'll probably be able to fix my nose and it will be covered 100% by my insurance,” she said. Before, I would just have to accept that this is how it’s going to be forever.”
Wagenheim has also found coverage through a company that will accommodate her asthma and has fixed rates. The Alliance for Affordable Health Care took her information and found her a policy with Met Life. They cover her asthma medication and the $200 monthly fee is guaranteed not to go up for five years.
“My plan was $600 a month before and they didn’t cover medication,” she said. “The medications run $500 a month without coverage.”
Wagenheim is relieved to have found good coverage. She banged up her hand while riding last week and will now be able to go to a doctor and get it x-rayed.

Vote With Your Dollars

The elections are finally over and the votes have been counted. We have done our civic duty for the next couple of years. Right?
That all depends on what you think it takes to stay politically involved. Yes, we get to have our voices heard every election cycle (if we choose to participate) but how do you voice your opinion in between visits to the ballot box? This is America, people. We vote with our paychecks!
We go to work day in and day out, and get our hard earned paychecks at the end of the week. What we choose to do with those dollars and cents can make a big impact, especially to local businesses.
Call it a boycott. Call it informed shopping. Every dollar you spend is a little mini-vote for businesses and the organizations they support. Don’t believe in testing cosmetics on animals? Buy your mascara from a company that makes a point of developing cruelty-free make-up. Think factory farming is wrong? Get your eggs from a free-range farmer.
Support a ban on gay marriage in the state of California? If not, you might want to think about where your money is going and who exactly it’s supporting.
Since the passage of Proposition 8, many gay rights advocates have called for the boycott of businesses that supported the ban. Some websites have posted lists of supporter’s names, business addresses and phone numbers in an effort to inform the public. One such site, run by Californians Against Hate, has published a “Dishonor Roll” of businesses that gave over $5,000 to the cause.
The information is no secret. Everyone who officially donated to a political cause has their name listed with the California Secretary of State. These are public records open to anyone who may be interested.
Marjorie Christoffersen, partial owner of El Coyote restaurant in West Hollywood, gave $100 to the “Yes on 8” campaign at the behest of her church leaders. She donated in her name - not that of her business, but the damage has been done.
Gay and lesbian leaders have called for a boycott on the historic restaurant and neighborhood staple. Some may “boycott” the restaurant while others say they simply no longer feel comfortable or welcome.
Other companies have been outspoken in their opposition to the controversial ballot initiative. Computer companies Google and Apple, both based in California, gave significant amounts of money to the “No On 8” campaigns. Google donated about $140,000 and Apple contributed $100,000.
Apple released a statement early in the campaign, “…we strongly believe that a person's fundamental rights - including the right to marry - should not be affected by their sexual orientation. Apple views this as a civil rights issue, rather than just a political issue, and is therefore speaking out publicly against Proposition 8.”
In this politically charged climate, where you choose to spend money does have meaning and repercussions. Consumers can find out more about political donations from corporations at http://www.goodguide.com/contributions.
Whether you love your job or loath it, the money you earn there is yours to spend at the end of the week. Make sure you’re spending it with businesses that support your ideals. You never know who’s going to donate it to a cause you don’t believe in.

One More Story...

Oops - this is what happens when I post to a blog at odd hours of the morning! It looks like I posted my election coverage story twice. So....here is an opinion piece I wrote a while back about the Equal Pay Bill that was voted down by the Senate.

Senate Republicans Side With Special Interests - Block Equal Pay Bill

Equal pay for equal work should be a no-brainer in this day and age. None of us should have to launch an investigation to find out if we’re getting shorted on our paychecks because of gender, race, religion or any other discriminatory factor. Unfortunately for us working stiffs, Senate Republicans do not agree.

The Senate failed to pass the Fair Pay Restoration Act last Wed. by the four votes needed to avoid a filibuster. The bill is a response to the Supreme Court decision in 2007 in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear that prevented an employee from suing their employer for pay discrimination after 180 days of receiving their first pay check. In the case of Lily Ledbetter, she worked in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. factory in Gadsden, Ala. as a supervisor in the Tire Assembly Department for years before she discovered that her male counterparts were making 15 to 40 percent more than she was.

The Supreme Court’s ruling, written by Bush appointee Judge Samuel Alito, failed to take into consideration the fact that most people do not have access to their employer’s payroll information and can’t find out exactly what their counterparts are making in the company, at least not within the first six months at a new job. They did seem to consider that large corporations don’t like lots of lawsuits from angry employees whose pensions and Social Security benefits are significantly lower thanks to the pay discrimination they suffered while employed.

Rep. George Miller (D-CA) introduced the Fair Pay Restoration Act last June as a way of setting right what the Supreme Court screwed up. But alas, senators such as Elizabeth Dole (R-NC), Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Ted Stevens (R-AK), seem to think that big business interests are more important than making sure vulnerable people have recourse when their employers screw them over. All a company has to do is keep their employees in the dark for 180 days and they are free and clear. The court has put the burden on the individual employee to find out what a corporation is doing with their payroll. Sounds fair to me.

Republican presidential nominee, John McCain didn’t bother to show up for the vote, but said that he would also have voted to oppose the bill according to the Associated Press. This while campaigning through poverty stricken states and concluding in New Orleans, an area where fair pay for working-class families is a daily concern with very tangible results.

Both Democratic candidates for president, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama were able to make it back to the Senate floor to vote in support of the bill.

The Senate’s failure to pass the Fair Pay Act is yet another testament to the power of special interests in our governmental system. While the people cast their votes every two years and hope for the best, those voted into power turn their backs yet again on the folks who put them there.

At least the high-paid executives at Goodyear (and every other corporation in America) can rest easy knowing they can continue to grossly underpay anyone they want.

2008 Election Coverage

Last Tuesday Americans went to the polls and made a historic decision. The significance of the 2008 election is beyond the ability of one short news story to contain. Pundits and historians will be analyzing this moment in our country’s history for many years to come.
Whatever the experts finally decide, one thing is clear, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will have to take over the governing of a nation with problems. Our economy is on its way to a serious recession. Four million Americans are still without health coverage. We’re entangled in two wars that are going to take finesse, diplomacy and no small amount of patience to resolve. There is no shortage of issues for this new administration to tackle. So, what do everyday voters think they should take on first?
“I’m excited and nervous.” said Betty Eichwald. The 52-year-old Moorpark Unified School District employee voted early Tuesday morning to avoid long lines. “I think he should take a serious look at the economy and health care. People need decent health coverage. It’s ridiculous that we don’t have that in America.”
Eichwald works with a disabled student at a public school in Moorpark. Like many voters, she said she is also concerned about the state of the education system in America, but she stressed the importance of the economy. “If the economy is a mess, it’s hard to deal with anything else,” she said.
Recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that the economy poses a major challenge for the country as a whole. October saw the loss of another 240,000 jobs, making this the 10th month is a row to report significant job losses. The unemployment rate has hit a 14-year high with 6.5 percent of Americans now out of work.
The economy isn’t the only thing on people’s minds these days. Patty Packinham, an administrative assistant from Northridge is most concerned about our presence in Iraq.
“We need to bring our troops home as soon as we safely can,” Packinham said. “This war was a lie and too many people have paid for it with their lives.”
The 2008 election saw the inclusion of many new, first-time voters such as Packinham. The Obama campaign used grass-roots efforts to reach the people, but they also got high-tech. Obama’s ads could be found in video games and on the internet. It should be no surprise, then that they are using the internet to once again get in touch with voters.
At the website, http://www.change.gov/, President-elect Obama has set up a page where Americans can write to his administration directly and tell them what they think the focus should be in the coming term. A statement on the tab entitled “American Moment” reads, “This transition is about selecting a new staff and agenda that will help reclaim the American dream and bring about positive lasting change to this country. In order to do that, we want to hear from you.”
Readers are then led to an on-line form where they can do just that. It is unclear what significance these suggestions will have for the new president-elect. Some people just like the tone Obama is setting by simply asking the people what they think.
“It’s a big change from the way the last eight years have gone,” said Packinham. “It’s nice to feel like we have a voice.”
Packinham was sitting in a coffee shop with her laptop when I interviewed her. After showing me the Obama web site, she led me to another.
Rachel Maddow, the political pundit and MSNBC news host of The Rachel Maddow Show ran an unscientific poll on her website this past week asking the public what they thought should be on Obama’s “To Do List”. Of the 9,003 votes cast, the economy lead with 37 percent, universal healthcare is second with 10 percent and climate change/environmental issues came in third with 6.3 percent of the votes. It seems the economy is the hot topic of the day.
Some people have other concerns, though. Brendan Hooley and Chris Panagakis are excited about the new president, but are most concerned about the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 passed with approximately 52 percent of the vote. It eliminates the right of same sex couples to legally marry. Hooley and Panagakis got married this September, after the state supreme court granted same-sex couples the right.
“How would every married couple in the state feel if suddenly their relationship status went into legal limbo,” said Hooley. “That’s what we are going through right this very moment.”
Hooley and his partner planned to attend an upcoming rally in West Hollywood to protest the passage of Proposition 8. Many similar rallies are planned throughout the state. It is unclear at this point what will happen to the 18 million same-sex couples who got married before November 4th.
After almost two years of campaigning, the 2008 presidential elections are finally over. The ramifications of the decisions made on November 4th are going to be felt for years to come. While many voters are relieved, excited and anxious about the days to come, it is clear there are many battles yet to be fought. In the end, there can be only one winner…or loser - the American people.

Achieving work/life balance is possible!

Everyone is busy these days. We get up in the morning and hit the ground running; never stopping, it seems, until we collapse at the end of the day. The pressures of getting ahead at work and being present for our families can be overwhelming. All too often our work life invades, and sometimes takes over, our personal time.
All this non-stop action doesn't really get us ahead. Living this way usually results in nothing more that greater stress, more family tension and serious health problems. So, what is a multi-tasking professional to do?
Balancing work and life is possible. It may take a little work, but the benefits are well worth it. Here are some tips to get you on the way to a more balanced existence.
Make A Plan
What does success mean to you? How would you measure happiness? Answering these seemingly esoteric questions are central to creating a life you’ll find worth living. Craig Simmons, Director of the health and wellness program at Nestle Inc., suggests seriously thinking about what your real goals are and actually writing out a game plan to achieve them. “When you know what you want to do and have an idea how to get there, you can stop running around in circles and wasting time with things that eat up your time and energy,” he said.
Eliminate other time-wasters such as watching television or spending too many hours on the internet. Try going to bed a half hour earlier and getting up a half hour earlier. When was the last time you actually sat down and enjoyed a morning cup of coffee in your own kitchen on a weekday? If you can’t remember, it might be time to give it a try.

Schedule A Meeting…With Yourself
Our days tend to be filled with meetings and appointments. You have to see your dentist at 10:00, meet with your boss at noon and talk with your kid’s homeroom teacher at 4:00. You wouldn’t skip out on any of these appointments. Try scheduling some time for yourself for a change.
Simmons says we should carve out time for ourselves and our relationships just like we do for staff meetings. “Respect your time,” says Simmons. “Making time for yourself to just slow down for an hour and tend to your own needs is amazingly beneficial.” We can contribute more to our jobs and our families if we can take care of ourselves first.

Learn to Accept Help
Realize that you are not in this all alone. Accepting help is not a sign of weakness, but an indication of resourcefulness and intelligence. Are there other parents at your kid’s school or at your job you get along with? Suggest trading child care responsibilities. “You babysit for them this Saturday night and they watch your kids next week,” Simmons suggests. Couples need time together to reconnect. By working together with another family, you can support each other and lessen everyone’s stress levels.

Achieving a good work to life relationship is a process, not a destination. Chances are, once you think you’ve got things figured out, something will come along to alter the delicate balance. That’s life. If you have a plan, respect your own time and develop helpful relationships with other people, those unexpected bumps along the way won’t throw you off course.

2008 Election Coverage

Last Tuesday Americans went to the polls and made an historic decision. The significance of the 2008 election is beyond the ability of one short news story to contain. Pundits and historians will be analyzing this moment in our country’s history for many years to come.

Whatever the experts finally decide, one thing is clear, President-elect Barack Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden will have to take over the governing of a nation with problems. Our economy is on its way to a serious recession. Four million Americans are still without health coverage. We’re entangled in two wars that are going to take finesse, diplomacy and no small amount of patience to resolve. There is no shortage of issues for this new administration to tackle. So, what do everyday voters think they should take on first?

“I’m excited and nervous.” said Betty Eichwald. The 52-year-old Moorpark Unified School District employee voted early Tuesday morning to avoid long lines. “I think he should take a serious look at the economy and health care. People need decent health coverage. It’s ridiculous that we don’t have that in America.”

Eichwald works with a disabled student at a public school in Moorpark. Like many voters, she said she is also concerned about the state of the education system in America, but she stressed the importance of the economy. “If the economy is a mess, it’s hard to deal with anything else,” she said.

Recent reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that the economy poses a major challenge for the country as a whole. October saw the loss of another 240,000 jobs, making this the 10th month is a row to report significant job losses. The unemployment rate has hit a 14-year high with 6.5 percent of Americans now out of work.

The economy isn’t the only thing on people’s minds these days. Patty Packinham, an administrative assistant from Northridge is most concerned about our presence in Iraq.
“We need to bring our troops home as soon as we safely can,” Packinham said. “This war was a lie and too many people have paid for it with their lives.”
The 2008 election saw the inclusion of many new, first-time voters such as Packinham. The Obama campaign used grass-roots efforts to reach the people, but they also got high-tech. Obama’s ads could be found in video games and on the internet. It should be no surprise, then that they are using the internet to once again get in touch with voters.

At the website, www.Change.gov, President-elect Obama has set up a page where Americans can write to his administration directly and tell them what they think the focus should be in the coming term. A statement on the tab entitled “American Moment” reads, “This transition is about selecting a new staff and agenda that will help reclaim the American dream and bring about positive lasting change to this country. In order to do that, we want to hear from you.”
Readers are then led to an on-line form where they can do just that. It is unclear what significance these suggestions will have for the new president-elect. Some people just like the tone Obama is setting by simply asking the people what they think.

“It’s a big change from the way the last eight years have gone,” said Packinham. “It’s nice to feel like we have a voice.”
Packinham was sitting in a coffee shop with her laptop when I interviewed her. After showing me the Obama web site, she led me to another.

Rachel Maddow, the political pundit and MSNBC news host of The Rachel Maddow Show ran an unscientific poll on her website this past week asking the public what they thought should be on Obama’s “To Do List”. Of the 9,003 votes cast, the economy lead with 37 percent, universal healthcare is second with 10 percent and climate change/environmental issues came in third with 6.3 percent of the votes. It seems the economy is the hot topic of the day.

Some people have other concerns, though. Brendan Hooley and Chris Panagakis are excited about the new president, but are most concerned about the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Prop 8 passed with approximately 52 percent of the vote. It eliminates the right of same sex couples to legally marry. Hooley and Panagakis got married this September, after the state Supreme Court granted same-sex couples the right.

“How would every married couple in the state feel if suddenly their relationship status went into legal limbo,” said Hooley. “That’s what we are going through right this very moment.”

Hooley and his partner planned to attend an upcoming rally in West Hollywood to protest the passage of Proposition 8. Many similar rallies are planned throughout the state. It is unclear at this point what will happen to the 18 million same-sex couples who got married before November 4th.

After almost two years of campaigning, the 2008 presidential elections are finally over. The ramifications of the decisions made on November 4th are going to be felt for years to come. While many voters are relieved, excited and anxious about the days to come, it is clear there are many battles yet to be fought. In the end, there can be only one winner…or loser - the American people.