Unmet needs: How the health system fails women

Background

Health care reform is an important and personal issue for women, who have a distinct relationship with the health system.

Objective

To describe the unique ways that women interact with the health system and make the case for comprehensive health reform that addresses gender inequities and meets women's needs.

Methods

We identify relevant measures of women's health coverage, use, and barriers to health care access, including analyses of 2007-08 national survey data and peer-reviewed literature on sex differences in health care utilization.

Results

Women are more likely than men to use the health system regularly throughout their lives. They are more likely to have chronic conditions requiring continuous health care treatment and use more prescription drugs on average. Women are also poorer than men, in general. Greater health care needs, combined with a disadvantaged economic status, make it particularly difficult for many women to afford health services. Women spend a greater share of their income on out-of-pocket medical costs and are more likely to avoid needed health care. Uninsured and insured women alike are significantly more likely than their male counterparts to have medical bill and debt problems.

Discussion

Our current system for financing and delivering health care does not adequately meet the needs of women, with serious consequences for women's health, work, and financial well-being. By carefully considering women's experiences, we are able to highlight the failings and fragmentation of the health care system and identify ways that comprehensive health reform can address these problems.