Dear Congress member:

Women on average are paying up to 50% more than men for their health insurance in America today. Insurance companies are charging higher premiums or even denying coverage for pregnancy-related care and such reasons as a history of sexual abuse. Some of the healthiest of women cannot afford medical insurance merely because of their gender. This is gender discrimination.

With the health care crisis becoming even more complex, health insurance providers need to loosen their rules and criteria, allowing women who need care to be able to receive the treatment they deserve. This is not a privilege; it's a basic human right.

Insurance providers' logic on this issue is arbitrary and transparent, and truly shows just how greedy the health care industry has become. Every woman deserves quality care and should not need to make a choice between going broke and being healthy—that's not what America is about. Take a stand for women and outlaw the practice of gender rating.

Thank you for your time.