An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure -- especially when it comes to women's reproductive health. And our legislature agrees!

Right now, private health insurance companies in California charge women more than men for insurance policies, a practice called gender rating. The steeper prices keep women from getting reproductive health care and other services they need.

The California legislature has passed a bill outlawing gender bias in private insurance -- the final hurdle is to get the governor's support.

The deadline for Governor Schwarzenegger to sign this bill into law is just three days away, and he still hasn't decided if he will sign the bill. We need to act now to convince him.

Tell Governor Schwarzenegger to give women equal access to health care and outlaw gender bias in private insurance.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Kerns, MD, MS, MPH
Leadership Training Academy Fellow

P.S. Many thanks to those of you who have already taken action! Please forward this message to your colleagues.

Subject: Please sign Assembly Bill 119 (Jones)

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

Dear Governor Schwarzenegger,

As a physician, I want the practice of gender rating to end. It creates dangerous barriers for women seeking health care. Please sign Assembly Bill 119 (Jones) and put a stop to gender discrimination in private insurance.

Gender rating discourages women from seeking preventive health care, which forces patients to seek treatment only when their health problems have become emergencies. This leads to worse outcomes for women, costs public hospitals more, and burdens already overcrowded emergency rooms.

I strongly urge you to support this bill and end the practice of gender rating for the nearly one million women in California who obtain health insurance on the individual market.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]