2010 Summer Health Reform & Women ccording to the The recent passage of the coverage when people provided with a $250 rebate National Law new federal law, the Patient become ill, and from setting in 2010. Center for Women, Protection and Affordable lifetime limits on benefits; 8) sex discrimination will AMichigan women are Care Act (PPAC), signed 4) adults with pre-existing be banned from health care generally poorer than men by President Obama on conditions will be eligible reform. just because of the pay March 23 will help women for subsidized coverage equity issue. Women also with access to coverage as through a national high-risk According to the National use the health care system well as care. While we will pool; Women’s Law Center and more, in part due to their have to wait to see how the other sources, women will reproductive health needs law is implemented some 5) small businesses will greatly benefit because of such as family planning immediate changes will be eligible for new tax the ban on gender rating and prenatal care. Thus, occur this year: credits to offset the cost of in health insurance and the Michigan women spend a premiums, and 1) pre-existing condition provision that policies must higher percentage of their limits for children in the 6) new limits will be placed include maternity coverage. income on health care. individual market will be on the share of premiums Unfortunately this has On March 31, Governor prohibited; that insurers can spend on resulted in 16% of Michigan Jennifer M. Granholm non-medical costs. women not visiting a 2) young adults will be able signed Executive Order doctor due to high costs. to continue on their parents’ 7) seniors who hit the gap 2010-4 naming Office of Additionally, during 2007- health plans to age 26; in Medicare prescription Financial and Insurance 2008, 15% of women in drug coverage known as (OFIR) Regulation 3) insurance companies will Michigan were uninsured. the donut hole will be Commissioner Ken Ross be prohibited from revoking (continued on page 2) COMMISSIONERS: Emma Bell, Chair – Detroit • Gloria Woods, Vice Chair – Bay City • Rana Abbas – Dearborn • Donna Budnick – Harbor Springs • Pam Faris – Clio • Emily Furrow – Grand Rapids • Patricia Lowrie – Okemos • Alexandra Matish – Ann Arbor • Sheryl Mitchell – West Bloomfield • Judy Rosenberg – Birmingham • Sally Shaheen Joseph – Flint • Estelle P. Smyth – Escanaba • Ronda Stryker – Portage • Mary Alice Williams – Grand Rapids • Tom Wilson – Wyandotte EX OFFICIO: Diane Earls – Civil Service • Norene Lind – Energy, Labor & Economic Growth • Patty Cantu – Education • Jocelyn Vanda – Human Services LIAISONS: Cindy Albrecht – Office of Services to the Aging • Sophie Baker & Jackie Miller – Civil Rights • Maxine Berman – Governor’s Office • Alethia Carr – Community Health • Donna Donovan – Treasury • Beth Emmitt – State • Jenifer Esch – Attorney General • Lt. Col. Kristie Kibby Etue – State Police • Wendy Fitzner – Natrual Resources & Environment • Cynthia Grubbs – MI Economic Development Corporation • Robin Rosenbaum – Agriculture • Jackie Shinn – Transportation • Joyce Van Coevering – Technology, Management and Budget • Heidi Washington – Corrections STAFF: Judy Karandjeff, Executive Director • Elizabeth Thompson, Program Specialist Health Reform & Women for maternity coverage, implement a high risk often with waiting periods. pool. Michigan gets $140 continued from page 1 In plans where riders are million for three years as the state’s insurance widowed or divorced or if available, the monthly to cover a small group ombudsman and creating their husbands lose their cost of riders offered to of about 5000 who need the Health Insurance jobs. Only half of working a 30-year-old woman coverage. You must be a Reform Coordinating women are able to get range from $38 to $1270, US citizen, uninsured six Council chaired by health coverage through sometimes exceeding months, and have a pre- Community Health Director their jobs compared to Janet Olszewski. The 57% of men. Nationally, Council is developing a about 6% of women “The passage of health care reform is strategic plan for reform purchase coverage through historic for Michigan. After decades of implementation. the individual insurance failed attempts, this legislation will market. Currently, these plans can deny coverage give Michigan families and businesses to individuals with a more control over their own health “pre-existing condition” such as pregnancy, mental care, will give them the security and illness, or a chronic stability that come with health care condition. In 38 states, coverage, and will reduce overall health insurers can charge women who purchase individual care costs.” insurance more for the Director Olszewski, spoke same coverage than men, – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm at the Michigan Women’s a practice called gender Commission meeting on rating. A national study the cost of a basic policy. existing condition to be June 9. She spoke about found that, in these Health care reform will eligible for the pool. 3) U.S. federal health care reform states, a 40-year-old eliminate these practices. Department of Health and and its impact. She noted woman could be charged Human Services will create that nationally more than anywhere from 2% to Of the many activities being a portal on the web so 17 million women, 18% of 140% more than a 40-year- undertaken now four are people can view options in non-elderly women, are old man with the same highlighted. 1) Michigan health insurance, sort of an uninsured. Women with health status for the same must now protect the “orbitz of health insurance employer-based insurance individual policy. Despite Medicaid population that is by July 2010. 4) OFIR are almost twice as likely the practice of gender currently eligible and keep will establish a consumer as men to be covered as rating, many individual the same benefits we have assistance office. dependents which can insurance plans either today for approximately 1.8 make them more vulnerable do not cover maternity million people, primarily For more information, to losing their insurance care or require women to women and children 2) visit www.michigan.gov/ should they become purchase separate riders Michigan is planning to healthcarereform. Correction: 90th Anniversary of Below is a corrected list of women who have been elected to the Michigan Supreme Court: Right to Vote Mary Stallings Coleman 1973-1982 ugust 26, 2010 is the 90th Dorothy Comstock Riley 1982-83 & 1985-97 anniversary of US women winning the right to vote. The first call Patricia Boyle 1983-1998 Afor women’s right to vote was at the first Elizabeth Weaver 1995-present Women’s Rights Convention in 1848, and Marilyn Kelly 1997-present was finally won by the ratification of the 19th Amendment in 1920. The 72-year campaign Maura D. Corrigan 1999-present was waged by thousands of women Diane Marie Hathaway 2009-present and supported by many men. For more information go to www.nwhp.org. Commission News n June 7, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm made Alexandra A. Matish of Ann Arbor, senior academic labor the following appointments and reappointments relations representative with University of Michigan- to the Michigan Women’s Commission. Academic Human Resources, is reappointed for a term O expiring July 15, 2013. Jayashree Kommareddi of Grand Blanc, community activist, is appointed for a term expiring July 15, 2013. She These appointments stand confirmed unless disapproved succeeds Ronda Stryker whose term will expire. by the Michigan Senate within 60 days. Donna L. Budnick of Harbor Springs, legislative services The Michigan Women’s Commission thanks Commissioner attorney for the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Ronda Stryker from Kalamazoo for serving the last three Indians, is reappointed for a term expiring July 15, 2013. years and welcomes Jay Kommareddi of Grand Blanc to the commission. Sally Shaheen Joseph of Flint, attorney in private practice, is reappointed for a term expiring July 15, 2013. In addition, Sharon Shafer has been the liaison from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and will Patricia A. Lowrie of Okemos, director of the Michigan now be replaced by Wendy Fitzner from the Michigan State University Women’s Resource Center, is reappointed Department of Natural Resources and Environment. We for a term expiring July 15, 2013. thank Sharon and welcome Wendy. Who is Running in Michigan’s Primary? n the Governor’s race, there are 7 candidates serving in its national legislature. Women make up running in the primary contest - 2 Democrats and 5 only 16.8%, or 90, of the 535 members of the 111th U.S. Republicans. None are women. (0% women) Congress. Historically, there have been 11,699 members I of Congress. 215, or less than 2%, of these members have In the U.S. House of Representative’s races, Michigan has been women. Delaware, Iowa, Mississippi and Vermont 15 congressional districts with 15 incumbents, 2 of whom have never sent a woman to either the Senate or House. are women who are both running for re-election. There are 66 candidates in the primary contests, 8 of whom are Currently, 6 states have female governors (including women (12%) - 5 Republicans and 3 Democrats. Eight (8) Michigan). Twenty-seven (27) states have never had a districts (53%) have women candidates. female governor. In the state senate races, there are 38 districts, with 9 Among the 100 largest cities in the United States, 7 have women incumbents. Eight (8) of these women are term female mayors: Houston, Baltimore, Fresno, Tampa, limited. There are 162 candidates in the primary contests, Stockton, Glendale and Chula Vista. 30 women (18.5%) - 10 Republicans and 20 Democrats. Seventeen (17) districts (45%) have women candidates. Since 1980, in every presidential election, the proportion of eligible female adults who voted is larger than that of In the Michigan House of Representatives races, there men. In the 2008 presidential election, 60.4% of eligible are 110 districts with 28 women incumbents.