IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 400 

Expressing the support of the Congress regarding the need to ensure health 

care for women and health care for all in national health care reform. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 31, 2008 

Ms. SCHAKOWSKY (for herself, Mr. HODES, Mrs. JONES of Ohio, Mrs. CAPPS, 

Ms. SCHWARTZ, Ms. LINDA T. SA ́NCHEZ of California, Mr. WAXMAN, Ms. 

DELAURO, Ms. SOLIS, Mr. ROTHMAN, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Ms. NORTON, 

Ms. CASTOR, Ms. MCCOLLUM of Minnesota, Ms. SLAUGHTER, Mr. HINCHEY, Ms. BORDALLO, Ms. EDWARDS of Maryland, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, 

Ms. SUTTON, Mr. MORAN of Virginia, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. 

BISHOP of Georgia, Ms. BALDWIN, and Mr. STARK) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Energy and Commerce 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the support of the Congress regarding the need 

to ensure health care for women and health care for 

all in national health care reform. 

Whereas women are the health care decision-makers for 

themselves and their families; 

Whereas women want affordable health care they can count 

on throughout life transitions: starting a family, job 

changes, part-time and full-time work, divorce, caring for 

an elderly or sick family member, having a major disease, 

retiring; 


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Whereas women with good health coverage worry about keeping their coverage and their providers; 

Whereas women are more likely to seek essential preventive 

and routine care, are more likely to have a chronic health 

condition, and are more likely to take a prescription drug 

on a daily basis; 

Whereas women pay 68 percent more than men for out-ofpocket medical costs, due in large part to reproductive 

health care needs; 

Whereas more than half of the underinsured (53 percent) and 

two-thirds of the uninsured (68 percent) forgo needed 

care and about half of the underinsured (45 percent) and 

uninsured (51 percent) report difficulty paying medical 

bills; 

Whereas in 2004, one in six women with individual coverage 

reported postponing or going without needed care because she could not afford it; 

Whereas high-deductible health plans are often targeted to 

young women as an inexpensive health coverage option, 

but fail to cover pregnancy-related care, the most expensive health event most young families face and the leading cause for hospital stays; 

Whereas 75,000,000 adults (42 percent of the under-65 population) had either no insurance or inadequate insurance 

in 2007, up from 35 percent in 2003; 

Whereas 47,000,000 people, nearly 16 percent of the United 

States population are uninsured, including 17,000,000 

adult women ages 18–64 (18 percent) and 9,000,000 

children (12 percent); 

Whereas the Institute of Medicine estimated that lack of 

health insurance coverage resulted in 18,000 excess 


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deaths in the United States in 2000 (a number which the 

Urban Institute estimates grew to 22,000 by 2006) and 

that acquiring health insurance reduces mortality rates 

for the uninsured by 10 to 15 percent; 

Whereas uninsured women with breast cancer are 30 to 50 

percent more likely to die from the disease, and uninsured women are 3 times less likely to have had a Pap 

test in the last three years, with a 60 percent greater risk 

of late-stage cervical cancer; 

Whereas 13 percent of all pregnant women are uninsured, 

making them less likely to seek prenatal care in the first 

trimester and to receive the optimal number of visits during their pregnancy and 31 percent more likely to experience an adverse health outcome after giving birth; 

Whereas the lack or inadequate use of prenatal care is associated with pregnancy-related mortality 2 to 3 times higher 

and infant mortality 6 times higher than that of women 

receiving early prenatal care, as well as increased risk of 

low birth weight and preterm birth; 

Whereas heart disease is the leading cause of death for both 

women and men, but women are less likely to receive lifestyle counseling, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, 

and cardiac rehabilitation and more likely to die or have 

a second heart attack, demonstrating inequalities in access to care; 

Whereas health care disparities persist, leaving Hispanic and 

Native American women and children 3 times and African-Americans nearly twice as likely to be uninsured than 

non-Hispanic whites; 

Whereas in 2005, nearly 80 percent of the female population 

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dence rates are dramatically higher for black and Hispanic women and adolescents (60.2 and 15.8 per 

100,000, respectively) than for white women and adolescents (3.0 per 100,000); 

Whereas women are less likely than men to be insured 

through their jobs and more likely to be insured as a dependent, making them more vulnerable to insurance loss 

in the event of divorce or death of a spouse; 

Whereas 64 percent of uninsured women are in families with 

at least one adult working full-time; 

Whereas health care costs are increasingly unaffordable for 

working families and employers, with employer-sponsored 

health insurance premiums increasing 87 percent since 

2000; 

Whereas America’s 9,100,000 women-owned businesses employ 27,500,000 people, contribute $3,600,000,000,000 

to the economy, and face serious obstacles in obtaining 

affordable health coverage, 

Whereas the lack of affordable health coverage creates barriers for women who want to change jobs or create their 

own small businesses; 

Whereas health care professionals and workers—a significant 

portion of whom are women—have a stake in achieving 

reform that allows them to provide the highest quality 

care for their patients; 

Whereas 56 percent of all caregivers are women; 

Whereas although the United States spends twice as much on 

health care as the median industrialized nation, the Nation’s health care system ranks near the bottom on most 

measures of health status among the 30 developed naVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:34 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HC400.IH HC400

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tions of the OECD and 37th in overall health performance among 191 nations; and 

Whereas the Institute of Medicine estimates that the cost of 

achieving full insurance coverage in the United States 

would be less than the loss in economic productivity from 

existing coverage gaps: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 

2 concurring), That the Congress commits to pass, and 

3 urges the President sign into law, within the next 18 

4 months, legislation that guarantees health care for women 

5 and health care for all and that— 

6 (1) recognizes the special role that women play 

7 as health care consumers, caregivers, and providers; 

8 (2) guarantees inclusion of health care benefits 

9 essential to achieving and maintaining good health, 

10 including comprehensive reproductive health, preg11 nancy-related, and infant care; 

12 (3) promotes primary and preventive care, in13 cluding family planning, contraceptive equity, and 

14 care continuity; 

15 (4) provides a choice of public and private plans 

16 and direct access to a choice of doctors and health 

17 care providers to ensure continuity of coverage and 

18 a delivery system that meets the need of women; 

19 (5) eliminates health disparities in coverage, 

20 treatment, and outcomes on the basis of gender, culVerDate Aug 31 2005 22:34 Aug 01, 2008 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HC400.IH HC400

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1 ture, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, health 

2 status, and sexual orientation; 

3 (6) shares responsibility for financing among 

4 employers, individuals, and the Government while 

5 taking into account the needs of small businesses; 

6 (7) ensures that access to health care is afford7 able; 

8 (8) enhances quality and patient safety; 

9 (9) ensures a sufficient supply of qualified pro10 viders through expanded medical and public health 

11 education and adequate reimbursement; and 

12 (10) promotes administration efficiency, reduces 

13 unnecessary paperwork, and is easy for health care 

14 consumers and providers to utilize. 

Æ 


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