"First Lady Michelle Obama's Remarks on Healthcare Reform and Older Women"

[Clio the Leo]

(Sorry this is a few days late.)

Friday, the First Lady stuck her baby toe into the HCR pond for one of the first times. I think the admin has been very cautious to have her champion policy matters for the obvious reason. But she has political capitol to spare and the current state of health insurance coverage really IS something that I think affects women even a bit more adversely than men (as our latest controversy shows.) So I was glad to see this. I strongly encourage you to read her ENTIRE remarks at the link provided.

But I also want to thank the women who spoke today -- to Kelly and Fran and Judy -- for sharing their stories. What they’ve been through isn’t easy, and I’m grateful that they have been brave enough and open enough to share their stories with all of us. It takes a lot of courage.

These stories touch our hearts. They spark in us just a fundamental sense of unfairness. But the sad truth is none of these stories are unique. These kinds of stories are being told in city after city, town after town, all across America. They’re being told by women who lost their coverage when their husband lost a job, or their husband passed away. They’re being told by women who aren’t getting regular checkups because it’s simply too expensive. They’re being told my women living on fixed incomes who can’t afford the prescription drugs that they need.

All of these stories reflect the fundamental reality -- and that is, women are among those struggling most under the status quo, the way things are. And women are among those who will benefit most from health insurance reform because the truth is that women, we have a special relationship with our health care system. In a lot of families that’s true because we are the health care system in so many ways. (Laughter.)

Eight in 10 mothers say they’re the ones responsible for choosing their children’s doctors, taking them to appointments, and managing the follow-up care. And over 10 percent of all women are now caring for a sick or elderly relative.

Our entire lives as women, we are asked to bear much of the responsibility for our family’s health and well-being. And yet, we often face special challenges when it comes to our own health insurance. Part of it has to do with the fact that women are more likely than men to do part-time work or to work in a small business -- in jobs that are less likely to offer the kind of insurance that you really need. In fact, over half of all women in this country don’t have the option of getting insurance through the workplace at all.

But even women who do have insurance face inequities under the status quo. Because women make less than 80 cents for every dollar their male coworkers make, it’s more difficult for them to pay their premiums -- especially when studies show that they’re paying far more than men for the same coverage.

And I don’t think anyone here will be surprised to learn that a recent study found that one-third of all women have either used up savings, taken on debt, or given up basic necessities just to pay their medical bills. And as many of you know firsthand, these kinds of problems -- the problems of coverage and cost -- only grow worse when you get older, making quality, affordable coverage harder to come by just -- as we’ve seen today and heard today -- just when you need it the most.

<snip>

Right now, millions of seniors face huge out-of-pocket costs when their spending on drugs falls within a coverage gap. My husband is committed to closing that gap, which will save some seniors, as you’ve heard, thousands of dollars on medications and make prescription drugs more affordable for millions of older Americans. (Applause.)

So what we’re talking about -- affordable prescription drugs for Americans who need them; Medicare that’s protected today and tomorrow; stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable coverage for Americans who don’t. That’s what reform will mean for older women, for seniors, and for all Americans. So that’s why I believe in this so strongly. That’s why I believe in this so strongly.

But in the end, I’m not here just as a First Lady. That’s not why I’m doing this. I am here because I’m a daughter. I’m here because I have an extraordinary mother who is 72 years old -- young. (Laughter and applause.) And I know there are countless women in this country who have loved ones who feel the same way about them as I do about my mother.

And when all is said and done, part of why I believe so strongly in reforming our health care system is because of the difference it will make for these women who gave us life -- so simple -- these women who raised us, these women who supported us through the years. They deserve better than the status quo. They deserve a health care system that heals them and lifts them up.

And that’s what my husband is committed to doing, to building that kind of system in the weeks and months to come. So thank you all. Thank you for sharing your stories. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication, for listening, for being a part -- and let’s get to work. Thank you so much.

(MUCH more here)
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2009/11/michelle-obama-healthcare-women-white-house.html

WASHINGTON - NOVEMBER 13: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (L) shares a moment with Fran Garfinkle (R) of Bethesda, Maryland, who was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and currently receiving Medicare and Social Security, during an East Room event November 13, 2009 at the White House in Washington, DC. The event focused on the issues older women facing in the health insurance market.

[Cha]

1. Thank you..this is

another very important aspect to the Health Care Reform and what better way to be addressed than by FLOTUS as a daughter?

OT, I'm wondering if Michelle wears those belts to help her back? I love the colors she's wearing with her brown heels.

[optimator]

2. sounds like the opposite of her husband

Michelle: "They deserve better than the status quo."
Barack: "This bill can not change the status quo."

[Bitwit1234]

3. I am glad you noticed those belts. She would look so much better.

And getting to the fact about health care and women. That is another reason the republicans are so dead set against adding health care for Americans. We see that it would cover more women, those left out of the system, like Mrs. Obama said. They don't care about women except as sex objects and for them to take care of them, the men.

[Clio the Leo]

4. lol, that was Cha......

.... the belt just needs to be thinner and she needs to not wear it so high ....... but anyway ...... FOCUS PEOPLE!!! HEALTH CARE!!!!!

(We can do "belt reform" in another thread lol)

[rebel with a cause]

5. Belt reform is much more interesting for me at the moment.

I am tired of waiting for the health reform since I first spoke about it with Barack back early in 2004. He was saying the same things then that he says now, about the health care, the wars and everything else. His stance on all these things have not changed in these six years.

About Michelle's belt. I think she wears them on the smallest part of her abdomen which is just under her bust. She wears them wide to make it look like they go down to (or close to) her waist which they do not. I love Michell but do not always agree with her fashion choices but then not many people (if any) agree with mine.

[Name removed]

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