Gender Rating in Health Insurance (H 7151, S 2208)

Nationwide, women face higher premiums than men for the same health insurance, leaving women disproportionately less able to purchase vital health care coverage.  While the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims to eliminate this discrepancy in 2014, ACLU legislation hoped to codify this provision into state law beginning in 2012, to end the practice immediately and stop women from being disproportionately burdened by the cost of health insurance regardless of any delays or changes in federal law.  While the bill died in committee, S 2888, sponsored by Senator Rhoda Perry and approved by both the Senate and the House, requires the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner and the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to investigate the practice of gender rating and issue a report detailing the impact of eliminating the practice.