These two concerns drive today's public debate over managed care. How we balance these concerns will have a far-reaching impact on all Americans. Women's health hangs in the balance we ultimately strike between cost and quality. Both women and men care about health care quality, but women have a greater stake in the outcome of our nation's evolving health care system.
Women spend most of our health care dollars.
Women are the majority of enrollees in managed care plans. Women have unique health care needs that include, but go beyond, reproductive health. They can and should be used by advocates, policy-makers, providers, health care purchasers, and the media to further the public policy debate and focus attention on women's health concerns.