Local Women React to Higher Health Insurance Premiums

From the Washington City Paper blog The Sexist

ABC 7 recently ran a story about “a new study” (which they don’t identify, but I think is this [PDF] ), which “finds women pay thousands of dollars more than men on comparable health insurance plans.” The station interviewed local women about the findings; most of them expressed dismay at the inequity in the numbers. “Given that in order to bear children, it usually involves a man and a woman, it would seem that the cost would be distributed more evenly,” said Anita Ballantyne. One local woman, though, wouldn’t be satisfied with equity:

“I’m actually amazed something like that would actually happen,” said Kathleen Mandazi of D.C. “If anything, I would think that we should be getting better costs on things than men do.”

Wha? Does this make any sense to anyone? I’d be pretty satisfied if health insurance premiums were just fair. And if salaries were fair. And if child rearing responsibilities were fair. The one commenter on the online story wants some fairness, too.

“I didn’t hear anything about the car insurance rates that men pay compared to women,” the commenter wrote.

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