Universal Health Care is a Women's Issue: The California Experience

Of California's 11 million women ages 19 through 64, 22% - or 2.5 million women - are uninsured. They represent more than half the population, live longer and are more likely to have chronic health problems as they age. Women use more health care services over the course of their lives than men. At the same time, they earn less, and are less likely to have jobs with health benefits. Consequently, women are more dependent on public and spousal coverage – two forms of health coverage that are most threatened by state deficits and employer cost-shifting. California recently experienced a window of opportunity to address the unique health care needs of women in California. The health reform plan negotiated by the governor and legislative leaders took steps in the right direction, promising to create a new state purchasing pool to offer affordable coverage to working women and to cover millions of low-income women through expanded public programs. But, to address the health care challenges women face, the reform plan had to create accessible, affordable and comprehensive coverage. The Women's Working Group on Universal Health Care, a collaboration of diverse women's organizations working to move California toward universal access to health care by educating and involving women and women's organizations in state and local health reform efforts, engaged in policy analysis, advocacy and public education to promote widespread understanding that universal health care is a women's issue during both the creation of Healthy San Francisco and health care reform efforts in Sacramento.