by Joan Entmacher, Vice President for Family Economic Security,
and Judy Waxman, Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights,
National Women's Law Center
Imagine being a single mother to a 5-year-old daughter, losing a stable job, and becoming a statistic in the economic downturn. An uninsured and unemployed woman trying to get by on credit cards.
Kerry from Tampa, Florida, doesn’t have to imagine. She is a college-educated single mother who lost her job and has been unable to find another one, even at a retail store or pizza shop, and she cannot afford insurance.
President Obama's bold speech Wednesday night reaffirmed that Americans, just like Kerry, can't wait for health care reform. And we know she’s not alone. Tell us your story about how our broken health care system and the economic downturn are affecting you and the families you know.
The U.S. Census data released yesterday and analyzed by the Center show that growing numbers of women and children fell into poverty, saw their incomes decline, and lost health care coverage:
- The number of women without health insurance rose to nearly 17.6 million, with more than 1 in 7 women living without coverage.
- Poverty — and extreme poverty — increased significantly.
- Real median earnings declined for women and men in 2008, and the wage gap for women stands at 77 cents of every dollar that men earn.
With the increase in the number of uninsured Americans, more mothers will have to make the choice between medical care and putting food on the table. More daughters will have to choose between filling their prescriptions and paying their rent. And more families will face the realities that Kerry deals with every day.
Tell Congress that health reform can’t wait. We need affordable, accessible, and comprehensive health care now.
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