Patchias Elizabeth M, Waxman Judy
National Women's Law Center.
Issue Brief (Commonw Fund). 2007 Apr;25:1-12.
Although men and women have some similar challenges with regard to health insurance, women face unique barriers to becoming insured. More significantly, women have greater difficulty affording health care services even once they are insured. On average, women have lower incomes than men and therefore have greater difficulty paying premiums. Women also are less likely than men to have coverage through their own employer and more likely to obtain coverage through their spouses; are more likely than men to have higher out-of-pocket health care expenses; and use more healthcare services than men and consequently are in greater need of comprehensive coverage. Proposals for improving health policy need to address these disparities.
虽然男性和女性在医疗保险方面面临一些相似的挑战，但女性在获得保险方面面临独特的障碍。更重要的是，即使女性已经参保，她们在负担医疗保健服务方面仍面临更大困难。平均而言，女性收入低于男性，因此支付保费的难度更大。女性通过自己雇主获得保险的可能性也低于男性，而通过配偶获得保险的可能性更大；女性自付医疗费用高于男性的可能性更大；并且女性比男性使用更多的医疗服务，因此更需要全面的保险覆盖。改善健康政策的提议需要解决这些差异。
