Did you know that in California, women can be charged up to 39% more than men in health insurance premiums for the SAME coverage?

While the ACLU/SC continues to work to expand quality, affordable health coverage to all at the national level, we must not forget that here in California, women are still not treated equally when accessing health insurance coverage.

Join the ACLU's California affiliates in urging Governor Schwarzenegger to sign AB 119 into law. AB 119 would eliminate the discriminatory practice of “gender rating” by some companies that provide private health insurance, which enables the companies to charge women more for health insurance than men. Higher health insurance premiums are significant financial barriers for many women in obtaining needed health care, including preventive care.

AB 119 would prohibit gender discrimination in determining the cost of premiums for health insurance policies by eliminating the loophole in the law that allows this unfair gender discrimination to take place.

Take action TODAY and urge Governor Schwarzenegger to sign this important bill into law.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I support AB 119 (Jones) and urge you to sign this important measure into law. This legislation would eliminate the discriminatory practice of "gender rating" by some companies that provide private health insurance.

Currently, two California statutes expressly permit insurance companies to charge women more for health insurance based solely on their sex. As a result, women in California who purchase individual health insurance pay monthly premiums up to 39% higher than those paid by similarly situated men. This "gender rating" practice violates the state's constitutional guarantee of equal protection and is already illegal in many states -- including New York, Massachusetts, Montana and Oregon. This bill would end that unconstitutional practice by preventing health insurance companies from charging higher premiums based on gender.

Gov. Schwarzenegger, please consider that gender rating effectively penalizes women for seeking preventive care. Health insurance companies claim that they typically charge women higher health insurance premiums than men because women are more likely to seek preventive care. But preventive care -- including screening exams for breast, cervical and uterine cancer -- is vital to women's long-term health. Such care not only is essential for the prevention of cancer and other diseases, but also is crucial to their early detection and cure. Preventive care ultimately reduces the cost of health care.

Also consider that women are especially hard-hit by the high costs of individual health insurance, because they are more likely to work part-time, and often are paid less than men. Women today earn $0.77 for every $1 earned by men, so even without the discriminatory practice of gender rating, women use a higher proportion of their income to pay for health care coverage. Additionally, in these tough economic times, more and more employers are dropping group health care coverage for their employees, leaving those individuals to purchase their own insurance, or to join the swelling ranks of the uninsured. Women hurt by gender rating could be forced to purchase a high-deductible plan with limited coverage, or priced out of the health insurance market altogether. AB 119 would help prevent this from happening.

Making this measure law is one step toward ensuring that both women and men can afford health insurance coverage. Equal and fair access to health care coverage is vital for the health and stability of California's families and our state. For these reasons, I urge you to sign AB 119.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 24, 2009