On Saturday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi came to the Graduate Club in New Haven and joined in a roundtable discussion on the benefits for women in the health care reform legislation which is currently under intense debate in Congress.
Joined by Congressman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman John Larson, and Dr. Carolyn Mazure, Director of Women's Health Research at Yale University, the hour long discussion (which included the panelist answering questions from members of the audience) covered a wide range of issue, which centered on how the pending health care legislation will impact the lives of women.
From tales of gender discrimination women face by insurance companies, to the story of Melissa Marottoli, a 28 year old woman with stage four cancer who fears that losing her job or changing careers will result in her being denied coverage due to her pre-existing condition, the points raised in the discussion should serve as a reminder that reform to health care is needed now.
In the following video clip, while responding to a series of questions directed at her by members of the audience, in her closing remarks, Speaker Pelosi gives her take on the current state of the health care reform legislation in Congress (NOTE: Although the video picks up at the LAST question from an audience member, Speaker Pelosi is responding to a several questions that were directed to the panel).
You can watch the roundtable discussion in it's entirety below the fold.
Statement from Speaker Pelosi, Congressman Larson, and Congresswoman DeLauro.
"Currently, four out of five women with individual market policies have no maternity coverage whatsoever. Having a child, or having had a c-section, or being a victim of domestic violence are all too often treated as "pre-existing conditions" by an insurance industry eager to cut corners for profit. And women routinely pay more than men for less coverage, under the arcane and discriminatory practice of "gender rating." Not only will the proposed reforms provide coverage to 30 million currently-uninsured Americans, they will lower premiums for families, invest in preventative and wellness care, and rein in abusive insurance company practices."
"Women are the primary consumers of health care for their families," said Speaker Pelosi. "They pay more for care and face greater discrimination in the insurance market. When we pass health insurance reform, unfair practices will end. Insurance abuses - against women and every American - will be a thing of the past. And being a woman will no longer be a pre-existing condition."
"It was an honor to welcome Speaker Pelosi to New Haven, and I applaud all that she has done in getting health care reform to this point-we are closer now to passing comprehensive reforms than we have ever been," said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Our reforms will save lives. They will help all women get the care they need, at all stages of life. As the panel today illustrated in detail, the proposed reforms offer a comprehensive approach to women's health that will mark a fundamental positive change for America's women and their families, and that will at last put our health on an equal footing."
"Women have the most to gain from the passage of comprehensive health reform. They will no longer be discriminated against based on their gender or a pre-existing condition and insurance companies won't be able to consider pregnancy, domestic violence or in-vitro fertilization a pre-existing condition," Congressman John B. Larson said. "It is time for the women of America to stand with us and get this legislation passed."
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