One thing I did not touch on was the cost of being a woman, specifically a woman who gets pregnant. I currently have no intentions of reproducing in the immediate future but the numbers are intimidating since I do want children some day.
My private policy did not cover prenatal or postnatal care at all. Any and all maternity coverage I may have required would have required a separate policy, purchased before I was pregnant, or would have been 100% out of pocket.
When I found out my new job sponsored health insurance covers those cost, I got a little teary with relief. I think it tapped into my feminist values to know my job chose a policy that made sure that was taken care of. A staggering number of employers skimp as much as they possibly can on this kind of coverage.
The number of doctors visits recommended of an expectant mother is:
Monthly prior to 28 weeks
Ever 2 weeks for 28 to 36 weeks
Weekly after 36 weeks
Imagine how cost prohibitive that level of care would be with no or minimal insurance. In the information packet about the health insurance plan I'm looking at, it provides a sample cost scenario of having a baby. This is just for giving birth with no serious complications.
As I've said before, I have no intention of reproducing for the foreseeable future but for a lot of women in America, this is a harsh reality. One trip to the ER can be enough to put a family struggling financially over the edge.
When a friend of mine asked how expensive can The Pill be, I showed him that my insurance saved me about $70 a month and that was for a generic medication. Watch the Buzzfeed video I linked if you have any other silly questions about the matter.
Most of the people pulling the strings in corporate are men who have no interest in understanding numbers like these. Having a uterus should not be a preexisting condition. Women deserve equal health insurance options to men.
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