ObamaCare hurts Young Women

Young women are entitled to know the truth about their health care options. Take a look at this list of what’s so awful about ObamaCare, particularly when it comes to young women:

1. ObamaCare treats grown women like children

Phil Galewitz patronizingly brags about how “You can stay on your parents’ health policy until you turn 26” even if you’re married. ObamaCare requires health insurance companies to provide coverage for the customers’ “adult children” until age 26. Now, with all due respect, women in mid-20’s are not children. Whatever happened to Cosmopolitan magazine promoting female empowerment and independence? Besides, what Galewitz doesn’t mention is that the under-26 mandate has increased families’ insurance premiums by $151 to $452 per year.

2. “Free” birth control costs a lot of money

Phil Galewitz writes, “You’re entitled to free preventive care, including birth control.” That sounds quite ok at first. However, to paraphrase late economist Milton Friedman, TNSTAFBC: there’s no such thing as free birth control. ObamaCare requires all insurance plans to cover all FDA-approved brand name contraceptives and procedures. Well, the funny thing is that covering more expensive forms of birth control actually costs more money. There may be no co-pays at the doctor office’s counter, however each and everyone will have to pay higher insurance premiums. So, I wouldn’t exactly call this “free.”

3. ObamaCare health insurance exchanges are a bad deal for young people

Phil Galewitz tries his best to sell young women on the ObamaCare health insurance exchanges. An ugly little secret is that ObamaCare’s success is totally dependent on young people opting into the unfair system. The way that the ObamaCare exchanges are set up is that young and relatively healthy people will be subsidizing the health care costs of old and unhealthy people.

Just a tip: if you’re a single childless adult, you’ll save at least $500 by not opting into the insurance exchange and paying the government fine instead.

4. You will pay more for things you don’t want

Phil Galewitz states that all health insurance plans will be required to cover maternity care, mental health services, and preventive services. What if you don’t want or need these things? Well, then too bad for you. Maternity coverage is mandatory—even for men. Women who do not plan on having children will have to pay extra for maternity benefits. Adding coverage for things that some people do not want will only increase insurance costs for everybody.

5. You may lose your insurance coverage

According to estimates from the Congressional Budget Office, seven million people will lose their job-based health insurance coverage because of the law. Due to the mandates in the law, employers will find it much cheaper to pay the penalty for not offering coverage than to offer health benefits. Many young women just starting their careers will be dumped since it will primarily affect low-income workers.

6. Healthy people will be charged more

Cosmopolitan magazine is full of helpful exercising, diet, and health tips. Some young women readers may be surprised to learn that insurance companies will not be allowed to give them a discount for making good health choices. I mean, shouldn’t young women get some benefits for eating healthy and staying fit?

7. ObamaCare will make more women dependent

Phil Galewitz boasts that Medicaid will be expanded to people currently making too much money to qualify for the program. Medicaid is the government health care entitlement program for the poor.

Encouraging young women to be dependent on the government is not exactly a message of female empowerment, now is it?

8. You may lose your job or get your hours reduced

According to Phil Galewitz employers are required to give women “reasonable break time” to pump breast milk while at their jobs. What about the women who won’t have an actual job because of ObamaCare? The unemployment rate for young women aged 16 to 24 is 13.9%. ObamaCare is making it harder to find a job by causing employers to eliminate jobs, particularly entry level positions. Also, employers are avoiding new hires because they don’t know how exactly the law will be enforced and the employer mandate that punishes businesses with over 50 full-time employees.