Health Care Now: Women's Health Takes Center Stage

Yesterday, President Obama made the audacious statement that we would reform the health care system in America this year. At what the president rightfully called the "hottest ticket in town," a truly remarkable group of what Washington likes to call stakeholders came together at the White House Health Care Summit to ponder the seemingly intractable issue of reforming the nation's health care system. Under the steady gaze of portraits of George Washington and Teddy Roosevelt, 150 health care providers, industry reps, advocates and members of Congress took the first step, together, to discuss the hopes and dreams of the American people to have a health care system that ensures that everyone has access to quality, affordable care.

Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of women's reproductive health care in the country, providing preventative health care to more than three million patients through a network of nearly 880 health care centers. Ninety-seven percent of the services we provide are preventive, ranging from cancer screenings to providing the HPV vaccine and contraception.

And, in these difficult economic times, Planned Parenthood health centers are seeing more women entering our doors. Our Northern California affiliate has had a 21 percent increase due to women losing their jobs and health benefits. Planned Parenthood of East Central Iowa now signs up five or six new patients each day when it used to sign up that many in a week. A recent article in US News and World Report sheds light on the impact that the economic downturn has had on women's health. The article reports that many people who have lost their health insurance have been "swarming into Planned Parenthood clinics to get free or subsidized contraception."

Yesterday, in a break-out session moderated by the White House Domestic Policy Advisor Melody Barnes, I was thrilled to be asked the first question about how, as a health care provider, Planned Parenthood sees the need to reform health care. To me, it was a signal that this president was serious about making women's health a priority. I took the opportunity to try and shed some light on what women in this country need to strengthen their health and the health of their families:

*Women need preventative care, including access to affordable and comprehensive family planning and reproductive health care. Women of childbearing age spend 68 percent more in out-of-pocket health care costs than men, in part because of reproductive health-related needs and services. What does this tell us? It's pretty simple - if we as a nation are serious about controlling costs and increasing access, we need to address the real health needs of women. Women need affordable contraception, cancer screenings, prenatal care when pregnant and, with at least one in four teenage girls contracting a sexually transmitted infection, screenings and comprehensive educational to prevent STIs. Planned Parenthood screens nearly one million women each year for cervical cancer, conducts 850,000 breast exams in addition to the family planning and prenatal care we provide to ensure health families.

*Increasing health care coverage will not work if we don't also increase access. We applaud the president for the action he took earlier this week to use some of the economic stimulus money to fund community health centers. That's an important first step. But there's still a long way to go in addressing the provider shortage crisis faced by low income women. In Massachusetts where they enacted universal coverage, women have to wait 44 days to get an appointment for family planning services. As we move forward, we must build a strong infrastructure that includes support for women's primary care providers including family planning health centers. For millions of women, Planned Parenthood clinics are their entry point for care. We provide access to a health care system that they often feel is out of reach, particularly as they search for affordable, trusted care. Our nation needs a network of family planning providers that care for low-income clients.

*And we must recognize that government can't do it alone. We need to empower women and their families to make informed decisions about their health care needs. At Planned Parenthood, we've been fighting to ensure that women have access to comprehensive information about their health care.

In the closing session, the president addressed head on the elephant in the room - health care reform has been tried time and time before and failed. And, with the economic woes plaguing the nation, can we really afford to spend time on such a difficult challenge?

And the overwhelming response was deafening - we simply can't afford not to act, especially in light of these devastating economic times. Failure to act is no longer an option.

Senator Whitehouse from Rhode Island captured the feeling in the room, saying that in the last go around of health care reform, it was Harry and Louise. But this time, it's more like Thelma and Louise, headed over the Grand Canyon. And as President Obama aptly noted, this time, we're not going there. Working together, we can succeed.

Yesterday was an incredible beginning - and by all accounts we are moving fast. On behalf of the 1 in 4 women in America who have been to our health centers, Planned Parenthood is glad to be not only along for the ride, but a willing and able driver to victory for desperately needed reform. We are proud to have a president who has made women's health a priority.

Cross-posted on RHRealityCheck.

Comments

[vnttn]

How many doctors under the current health care situation, are recommending to their children to follow in their footsteps? This mad for-profit insurance monstrosity we call the US health care system must be dumped in favor of a single payer system like the rest of the industrialized nations in the world now enjoy

BackTrack URL for this article: http://www.healthaz.info/story.php?title=Health_Care_Now_Womens_Health_Takes_Center_Stage

[JEP57]

I don't mind my tax money being used for safety net programs for needy individuals, but if college girls want to have extracurricular fun with their boyfriends, they can "splurge" for their own condoms and contraceptives just like everyone else does. Don't ask me to subsidize their fun.

[JEP57]

Sorry, this post was meant for the DeMint article below.

[Kungfublood]

Do women need to pay a middleman er..middle­person? To raise the cost of the people that would do the job for less without the fee of the broker. A broker is one who makes one broker and broker making the broker richer and richer until the client is broke.

[MacQ]

People have access now. Some decide not to use it.
Uninsured is not the same as having no access.

There are many who say they can't afford health insurance who are driving new expensive cars.

People interviewed on TV were asked why they hadn't been to a dentists--they all said it was because they didn't have insurance (or didn't have it anymore). They were shopping.

One of the problems is that Americans expect healthcare to be free.
The idea of "insurance" is a protection against catastrophic costs. people expect "insurance" to pay for their doctor visit, not just their surgery or serious medical costs. That's like expecting your car insurance plan to pay for your oil change.

[qofdisks]

That is why insurance doesn't work for health care. Going to the doctor early and for prevention is the way to avoid health catastrophe. Then if a health crises occurs, it bankrupts entire families even if insured. Paying for that oil change is a lot cheaper than paying for another car every 8 months.

[tiznow]

Many insurance plans do cover preventive care, however, if people choose not to utilize it or if they don't make an effort to lead a healthy lifestyle, they are more likely to have a health crisis. Personal responsibility has to be a part of the equation for health care, whether it is privately or publicly paid for.

[Elaine Feuer]

HEALTH CARE is a FOR-PROFIT system in the U.S. -- IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY

FDA and Merck Pharmaceuticals knew it's arthritic drug, Vioxx, caused heart attacks; However, FDA approved the RX since it is in bed with the drug co.s -- i.e., owning stocks. Vioxx caused 100,000 heart attacks, and 50,000 people died. Merck paid billions in a class action suit; FDA's scientist, who did not approve Vioxx, told "60 Minutes" the truth.

The REVOLVING DOOR exists in all areas of health care: The head of the Cancer Institute at the NIH becomes FDA Commissioner and supports more chemo drug trials. It is the people at the top of the FDA, AMA, NIH, Fortune 500 Drug Co.s -- and all of the foundations and societies -- who control the medical agenda.

With HEALTH CARE REFORM, insurance will be much cheaper, and "alternative" treatments will be used, along with mainstream treatments that work.

CANCER CURES: OZONE destroys cancer, and is used in Canada and Europe with fantastic results. However, ozone cannot be PATENTED. FDA confiscates ozone machines and doctors risk losing their licenses. See my 2008 Updates for "Innocent Casualties: The FDA's War Against Humanity" - www.fdainformation.com - which exposes the TRUTH about the U.S mainstream monopoly on health care.

CANCER IS A BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS

[WorkingClass]

Nationalize health care please. Its a matter of life and death.

[Kungfublood]

Insurance is worthless,we need Health Care not health insurance.

[Sunmaker]

I agree totally with your statements. Cancer can be cured and they already have a cure for it but the Big Drug Companies and Drs. and Hospitals would be out of work! Can you imagine envisioning no more huge Cancer Centers, Chemotherapy and Radiation Centers??? Its been a big big business for too long at the expense of American lives. Imagine what TV would be like with no Viagra commercials etc. etc. etc. and not having to explain to your children what they are talking about?

[tiznow]

You have no clue as to what you are talking about. You think there is some vast conspiracy to avoid treating cancer in the most effective manner in order to make a greater profit? Why then, are Americans not flocking to Canada and Cuba ,where there is no profit motive, for the "cure" that is being denied to them by our capitalistic system? The fact is, that cancer is not just one disease, but many, and some cancers respond better than others to treatment. From a financial perspective, cancer centers do better when a patient lives than dies, because they still have a patient who needs follow-up surveillance. Pharmaceutical companies profit when studies show that their drugs work better than their competitors.

[torrrep]

I disagree with most of what you say in this article. But the one thing I do agree on is access to healthcare. I have been talking about this for years. Liberals want to give healthcare to every American. However, giving people healthcare does absolutely no good if there are not enough providers to meet the need. We already have a shortage of healthcare workers in this country. Now liberals want to add 50 million more people to the healthcare role without giving any kind of plan on how to treat all of these people. It's a simple question. WHO WILL TREAT THESE PEOPLE?

[floib]

WHO WILL TREAT THESE PEOPLE?

People need to be recruited just like they recruit for the Army, Navy, and Marines. With the economy the way it is, high schools need to have Career Day and have people come talk to the seniors about the possible career choices in the health field. If you pay them well, they will enlist. Allowing those 50 million people to be healthy will create thousands of jobs. This is not a liberal or conservative issue. This is a right or wrong issue. We are all Americans. I am my brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper. We are only as strong as our weakest link. Sick people don't work or pay taxes. A healthy nation works and pays taxes.

Having single-pay­er/univers­al health care/medicare for all will not only cover everyone from the cradle to the grave, it will be more cost effective. Instead of paying premiums to insurance companies that deny us care, we, as Americans, pool our money. Doing that will cover doctor's visits, dental care, chiropractic care, vision care. rehab, nursing home care, medicines, etc.

HR 676 will cover every American, and it won't depend on whether you work or if you have a pre-existing condition. If you go to YouTube and search for HR 676, Dennis Kucinich will explain this bill. You might want to see Michael Moore's film SICKO in order to fully understand how managed care is fleecing Americans and causing deaths in many cases.

[RepugsOut08]

Part of the problem is that the current insurance company controlled health care system, is discouraging people from wanting to become doctors.
A recent survey of doctors in the US, showed that over 50 percent of doctors would leave the profession if they could find another career. The main reason is the tons of paperwork and rules they have to deal with from the insurance companies. "I didn't study business in college." one doctor stated. "I studied medicine, and yet most of my time is consumed, not with being a doctor, but handling insurance forms."
How many doctors under the current health care situation, are recommending to their children to follow in their footsteps? This mad for-profit insurance monstrosity we call the US health care system must be dumped in favor of a single payer system like the rest of the industrialized nations in the world now enjoy.
Before you start telling me how awful their systems are, please do some research outside the insurance and Republican propaganda machine. Last time I checked, France has the number one health care in the world. You don't get that rating by having bad doctors and disgruntled patients.
Frustrated doctors unable to do their work without an insurance agent on their back, and people losing their coverage or going bankrupt from medical bills, even with insurance, gives you a rating in the high 20s like the US health care system has.

[apexfork]

"Part of the problem is that the current insurance company controlled health care system, is discouraging people from wanting to become doctors."

and you think having to work under government control with government rules and government­-controlle­d wages will encourage people to become doctors?

wow.

[MacQ]

We get alot of our doctors from countries with socialized medicine..­.they'd rather come here.
Explain that.

[torrrep]

" Last time I checked, France has the number one health care in the world."

The last time I checked:
1. France was smaller than Texas.
2. France takes anywhere from 5- 60% of your salary in taxes
3. France didn't have emergency rooms packed with uninsured illegal immigrants
4. France didn't have to spend billions of dollars on healthcare for millions of illegal immigrants

[csavage]

I can say, from having worked at a Catholic hospital, we were, in no way denied funding for NOT performing abortions or prescribing birth control pills (although 95% of Catholics in this country have used them). On the other hand, I have had more than one patient who took a legal prescription for the "morning after pill" from me to a pharmacist who took the prescription, refused to fill it and then refused to release the patient's prescription back to her so she could find another pharmacist. This country's confused approach to sex and reproductive health kills women every year. I have no problem saying I'm antiabortion for ME-I have a tremendous problem with the government making that decision for everyone.
For a "conservative" who consistently links Planned Parenthood to abortion, I would say that 1. you do not know the primary care outreach of Planned Parenthood and 2. short of providing universal healthcare, how else are you going to reduce deaths due to cervical cancer? It's a leading cause of cancer for women under 50 and those women could have been saved by regular affordable screening. But then again, as mentioned before, according to the Repubs, the right to life ends at birth

[Roland3337]

While no reasonable person would ever want to see medical services of any kind reduced for our mothers, daughters and sisters, I wonder why the health of men is such a low priority?

Men die in this country from every major disease at greater rates than women. They die, on average, 5 years earlier than women, and yet there is no national interest in doing anything about this. And it is a topic that is woefully neglected in national media.

Why don't we care as much about our sons and brothers and fathers?

[csavage]

Surely, you jest....
Every SINGLE study up until the Nurses' Health Study was devoted to looking at health care interventions in men ONLY. For every therapeutic intervention listed in my medical books, I can report only to my male patients their success rate with confidence. For my women patients, I just have to guess. Men live a shorter time then women because they tend to engage in more risk taking behavior than women and, technically, they are genetically weaker than women-that little X chromosome that they only have 1 of is the reason.
As a for instance, taking ASA to prevent deaths from cardiovascular disease? Doesn't work in women....

[Roland3337]

No. I am certainly not making a jest.

The Nurses Health Study started 32 years ago. Much has been learned about healthcare in that time.

And there are local, state and national organizations dedicated to the health of women. But as far as I know, there is only one state that has a Men's Health organization.

Why? Because of a "genetic inferiority"? And men are simply supposed to accept that?

[PlaceboStudman]

Unfortunately, men have weak and small egos that make them believe we (yes including me at times) are immortal. We must do a better job of educating each other in the fight for our health, and our lives.

That being said, I am thrilled to hear that (if) women's health issues are being brought to the forefront, because the health of our mothers, daughters and sisters are vital in the future health of our children, neices and nephews, and with better health care for women, there will be a decrease in the incidences of congenital birth defects that have been linked to malnutrition in women, such as Spina Bifida, which has been proven to be reduced with large doses of folic acid in women.

[Roland3337]

Men have weak and small egos?

Perhaps some, but not as many as you might think. And I do not know of any impartial evidence which suggests that the egos of women are qualitatively different.

Perhaps, men are well aware of the fact that they are expected to make sacrifices for those in their care, up to and including their own life. And admitting pain or ill health is an admission of weakness that men feel they cannot afford.

It is also possible that men are confronted with a health care system that cares nothing about them.

[historymatters]

Among many, many things, I sincerely hope that health care in America can finally be uncoupled from religion. One person's religious beliefs should have absolutely no bearing on the health care that another person receives. The sanctity of the right to control one's own body, to make health care decisions that are best for oneself, and to have the privacy needed to make health care decisions without interference from third parties must be upheld.

This is not just about abortion. People with extreme religious beliefs also have gone on record opposing vaccinations, blood transfusions, organ transplants, contraceptive devices, and end-of-life pain mediation. Opening the door to allowing one person's religious beliefs to limit another person's health care choices in one area (such as abortion), opens the door to letting total strangers dictate your health care in every area.

The Obama administration already is moving to overturn the ill-conceived "conscience" rule that would have allowed health providers' employees refuse to provide service for any medical care they found somehow "morally objectiona­ble." The provider was under no obligation to assure that care was given anyway, even by a different employee. In rural areas or anywhere providers are limited, this has disastrous consequences. I applaud the administration for taking this action!

[PlaceboStudman]

ANY parent, mother or father or both should be up for the death penalty if they are found to be guilty of allowing their child to die due to religious beliefs.

It is highly under reported, but there are millions and millions of Christians who believe that prayer should be the only line of defense against illness, and therefore refuse to take their child to the doctor or ER for life saving medical treatment.

I saw this in my OWN FAMILY when I was told that my grandmother, aunt and uncle all begged my parents not to seek medical treatment after I was born with Spina Bifida, which would have killed me in days, had I not had life saving surgery to close the spine within days of my birth

Obviously, as you can see, I am alive and well, thanks in large part to my parents who sought the medical treatment I needed, and didn't listen to my religious zealot relatives who would have had me die.

Unfortunately, what goes around, comes around with the new health care debate. I fear for my life that the disabled, critically and terminally ill will be sacrificed to the Gods of lower cost, for those who have no health care insurance, and would never use it anyway except for a broken arm or a stubbed toe

[MacQ]

So you want your employer provided plan to pay for abortions and inseminations.
Why not plastic surgery?
Why not tattoo placement (and removal?).
How about veneers for your teeth and liposuction for your thighs?
Sure you're for all that.
Those of us who have to pay for it are not.

End of life pain mediation? Seriously now, tell me who opposed that.
(Or is that your new euphemism for assisted suicide?)

[historymatters]

Interesting how much rage you're showing, directed at a person you will never meet. Are you an equal opportunity hater? Or do you save your disdain only for those who think everybody is entitled to make up their own mind about their health care decisions? I never addressed the question of paying for it. That is another subject entirely. My comment focused on using personal religious beliefs (not money!) to limit another person's options to get health care.

Maybe you should use your health insurance to see a counselor. There are lots of good programs, therapies, and medications to help with anger management.