Husband been beating you? Sorry, that's a "pre-existing condition."

Women who are beaten by their husbands have a hard time finding health care coverage because many insurance companies consider spousal abuse to be a pre-existing condition. 

Ryan Grim writes on Huffington Post:  Under the cold logic of the insurance industry, it makes perfect sense: If you are in a marriage with someone who has beaten you in the past, you're more likely to get beaten again than the average person and are therefore more expensive to insure.  In human terms, it's a second punishment for victims of domestic violence.  (And sadly, it gives these women yet another reason not to report their abusers.)  In 2006, Democrats tried to end the practice.  An amendment introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), now a member of leadership, split the Health Education Labor & Pensions Committee 10-10.  The tie meant that the measure failed.  All ten "no" votes were Republicans...  (Of course they were.)  During the last health care reform push, in 1993 and 1994, the industry promised to end discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.  (They also promised to regulate themselves.)  In 1994, then-Rep. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), now a member of Senate leadership, had his staff survey 16 insurance companies.  He found that eight would not write health, life or disability policies for women who have been abused.  In 1995, the Boston Globe found that Nationwide, Allstate, State Farm, Aetna, Metropolitan Life, The Equitable Companies, First Colony Life, The Prudential and the Principal Financial Group had all either canceled or denied coverage to women who'd been beaten.  ("Damn you, woman!  Now I can't get insurance on your sorry ass.") 

Health insurance companies are almost as repugnant as the man who pummels his wife and then blames her for "driving him to it."  Private insurers promise their victims patients they'll do better, but they always, always revert back to their old ways.  They wage war against a proposed public option because - just like the wife beater - they don't want anyone interfering with their "business."  They're unconcerned about the suffering they cause since their moral compass points in only one direction: Profit.  Unless Congress passes health care reform that includes a strong public option, the cycle of abuse by greedy insurers will continue.

Comments

[Miss Suffragette]

Great blog. I love it. :)