Health insurers would be willing to eliminate a surcharge levied against women, Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plan told the Senate Finance Committee in a discussion on expanding healthcare coverage on Tuesday. Women who buy private health insurance often pay 25% to 50% more in premiums, reports The New York Times. “We don’t believe gender should be a subject of rating,” Ignani told the committee. Previously, insurers have agreed to stop denying coverage to people with medical problems and to eliminate the practice of charging them higher premiums—concessions that could keep legislators from including a public health plan as part of healthcare reform. On Tuesday, Senator John Kerry (D-Mass) also introduced a bill that would eliminate premium disparities based on gender.
