Advocates for women and families are urging President Barack Obama to take a strong stand to eliminate gender and age discrimination in any national health reform legislation.

More than 20 national organizations, including the YWCA USA, the National Organization for Women, and PHI, expressed dismay after the president neglected to mention putting an end to age and gender discrimination in health insurance in his joint address to Congress in September.

In a letter to the president (pdf) dated September 15, the organizations state that:

. . . we hope this is not an indication of a departure from your previous commitment to eliminate discrimination, and that it does not signal a willingness to compromise, resulting in discrimination being written into this important federal legislation.

Obama went on record in late July in support of eliminating gender and age discrimination in health insurance.

The advocates commended the president for supporting a public health insurance option, which they say would benefit women whose coverage does not work for them and women who don’t yet have insurance because of the lack of affordable options.

The letter states that:

• Many women over age 40 cannot find affordable coverage, not even high-deductible plans with coverage riders.
• With rising unemployment, women are losing employer-sponsored coverage, and lost income puts COBRA coverage out of reach.
• Many women work in hourly wage and part-time positions earning less than their male counterparts, so they lack a cushion to get them through hard times.

“Many direct-care workers will continue to go uninsured or pay higher premiums if health reform legislation does not include a provision to end gender and age discrimination,” said Carol Regan, PHI Director of Government Affairs and the National Director of the Health Care for Health Care Workers Initiative. “Long-term care employers cannot get affordable health coverage policies for their employees, the majority of whom are women — and often older.”

According to a PHI fact sheet (pdf):

• 88 percent of direct-care workers are women;
• The average age of all direct-care workers is 41, while the average age of direct-care workers who are self-employed or working directly for private households is 49; and
• 43 percent of direct-care workers did not work full-time hours throughout 2007.