The National Women's Law Center's (NWLC) groundbreaking report "Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women," first released in September 2008, brought to light how the insurance industry discriminates against women. Now, this ground-breaking research has resulted in the enactment of a law in California -- signed by Governor Schwarzenegger over the weekend -- that bans the insurance industry practice of gender rating or charging women more than men for the same services.
"For too long, gender rating has caused hardship to many thousands of women, who have either had to forgo health insurance altogether or sacrifice to cover the extra premium cost," said Marcia D. Greenberger, Co-President of NWLC.
NWLC is on the front lines in the fight to obtain meaningful health care reform that works for women and continues to develop new research and initiatives that will intensify the spotlight on unfair insurance industry practices. This Thursday, Ms. Greenberger is expected to testify on Capitol Hill about disparities in how insurance companies treat women.
Data and research from the NWLC report "Nowhere to Turn" has become the cornerstone of the argument used by women Senators, activists and other organizations who are advocating for meaningful health care reform. The report also highlights: