eAlert Fri, 07/13/2012 - 12:00 67af6645-5baa-4f77-9d97-8e6c26b6cc9d

<p>Nearly 19 million U.S. women—20 percent of those ages 19 to 64—were uninsured in 2010, up from 12.8 million, or 15 percent, in 2000, according to a new <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2012/jul/realizing-health-reforms-potential-oceans-apart-higher-health">Commonwealth Fund study</a> that features international comparisons of women's health care access and exposure to costs. Moreover, women in the U.S. report medical bill problems at twice the rate of women in other countries. Commonwealth Fund researchers examined differences in how American women fare compared with women in 10 other industrialized nations, all of which have universal health insurance coverage. Their findings show that while uninsured women in the U.S. are the most likely to face problems paying medical bills and getting needed health care, even those who have coverage are more likely to face these problems than women in other countries. The authors estimate that once fully implemented, the Affordable Care Act will cover nearly all women in the U.S., reducing the uninsured rate among women from 20 percent to 8 percent. </p><p>Visit <a href="/publications/issue-briefs/2012/jul/realizing-health-reforms-potential-oceans-apart-higher-health">commonwealthfund.org</a> to read the report, use an interactive feature showing how coverage rates will change under health reform, and view an infographic comparing nations on women’s health care access and cost. </p>

http://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletters/ealerts/2012/jul/copy-of-new-study-one-of-five-us-women-uninsured-in-2010