Women are the nation's primary health care consumers.
Women not only use more health services and spend more health care dollars, they also make most family health decisions. Right now, even the most basic consumer standards are all over the map, with huge variations from state to state and plan to plan. By recognizing the need for baseline consumer protections and minimum quality standards, the Consumer Bill of Rights developed by the President's Advisory Commision on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry is a good starting point. But it is only a starting point. At a time when health insurers are declaring war on the very principle of consumer rights, women and families need enforceable, national protections more than ever.