As more people lose employer-based health insurance and find themselves shopping for policies on the open market, a new study shows that premiums for such health insurance are significantly higher for women than for men.
Insurers say they have a sound reason for charging different premiums: Women ages 19 to 55 tend to cost more than men because they typically use more health care, especially in the childbearing years.
But women still pay more than men for insurance that does not cover maternity care. In the individual market, maternity coverage may be offered as an optional benefit, or rider, for a hefty additional premium.
Crystal D. Kilpatrick, a healthy 33-year-old real estate agent in Austin, Tex., said: “I’ve delayed having a baby because my insurance policy does not cover maternity care. If I have a baby, I’ll have to pay at least $8,000 out of pocket.”
This news doesn’t surprise me, but the disparities do. The article gives the example of an Anthem plan which would charge a 30-year-old man in Columbus, Ohio $62.30 per month. A woman of the same age would pay $92.87; a difference of 49%.