"Fox News Contributor's Sexist Comments on Women's Health Care Spark Outrage"

http://shine.yahoo.com/healthy-living/fox-s-sexist-comments-on-women-s-healthcare-spark-outrage-172914267.html


ME:  Insurance companies save money two ways with men: fewer doctor visits and they are more likely to let themselves die than seek early diagnosis. They lose money from men with lower premiums and treatments that are sky high because of late stage 3-4 diagnosis. Often only when it is too late. This math doesn't make sense to me. "Charge them lower premiums because they are more likely to die before we have to pay for treatments." 

Insurance companies make money off of women with higher premiums and cheaper treatments because women are more likely to get diagnosed early with regular check-ups. Yes, the checkups are costly, but that's maybe 50$ per checkup which comes to about 100$ a year with a reg checkup and gyno checkup. (Although papsmear lab fees are way inflated.) Alternative therapies are paid for out of pocket. "Charge them more now to punish them for not letting themselves die."


Responder:
Health care rates are also based on risk (and actual history of claims) 
Why do older people pay more for health insurance then younger people? Why does a 64 years old female pay more for health insurance than a female of child bearing age? 

The Dr. may not have stated his point well, but in most age groups women have higher health care costs than men. BUT- health care premiums are spread over an age group-- for example: a 24 year old married female pays the same health care insurance as a 24 yr old unmarried female-- even when pregnancy and childbirth costs are factored in. 

So, if females have a higher risk factor than males (based on years of actual claims)- then isn't it sexist
and discriminatory to charge males the same premium as females? Won't males be subsidizing 
the health care costs for females?

ME:
Men have a higher risk of cancers, strokes and heart disease when compared to women. Women have a higher rate of pregnancy and birth than men do. So we reward men by charging them less despite a greater risk of accident, heart attack and stroke. Then we punish women for giving birth by charging them more. It still doesn't add up.

And shouldn't men contribute to the cost of pregnancy and childbirth considering it was sperm from a male plus the egg from the female that created that child in the first place?