A couple of weeks ago, I posted an entry about two bills in the state legislature that women who have recently lost their jobs in the recession may want to follow.

Senate Bill 54 by Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and Assembly bill 119 by Dave Jones (D-Sacramento) would ban gender differences in health-insurance premiums charged by insurers to individuals.

Since that entry, I wanted to give an update: The bills will be heard on the Senate and Assembly floors on Monday (May 11).

In a telephone call Friday, Leno said he thinks there's enough votes for his bill.

Another development: There's a national move afoot on the part of insurers, as part of health-care reform negotiations, to do away with different premiums for women than men.

Leno said he'll keep pushing for a change in California law, regardless.
"There's absolutely no reason why a woman should be discriminated against in obtaining an individual insurance policy, he said.

I'll keep you posted on the California bills and what transpires on the national scene.

Below is the background information from the original blog about the difference in insurance premiums.

Women get charged more for individual health insurance coverage than men, according to a 2008 report by the National Women's Law Center. And a lot of the plans don't cover maternity care, the center report said.

Federal law doesn't allow gender rating by companies providing group health-insurance policies, such as those offered by employers for their workers. However, California and other states allow differences in premiums in policies for individuals buying health insurance.

It's estimated 1 million California women rely on individual health policies for health care.

Any women out there who have noticed difference in the cost of their premiums versus those of men? Care to comment?