Finally! Maternity Health Benefits Make Dollar Sense (not to mention moral sense)

Gender discrimination is rampant in the individual insurance market and the treatment of pregnant women is the leading example.

In most states individual-market insurers are allowed to deny coverage to pregnant applicants. Even in states where companies must issue a policy, they are allowed to consider pregnancy a pre-existing condition and impose a waiting period for maternity services, which denies vital pre-natal care.

"I wouldn't qualify for an individual policy because I am an ovarian cancer survivor," DeLaurio said in an interview. "Women who have had a previous Caesarean section also may be excluded. Nine states allow individual insurance companies to deny coverage to survivors of domestic violence."

In most states, women pay more than men for identical coverage in individual market insurance plans, even for plans that don't cover maternity care.

in Women's eNews Reformers Say Maternity Benefits Make Dollar Sense.