Senate Proceeding on Oct 8th, 2009 :: 1:22:45 to 1:28:35
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1:22:41 to 1:23:01( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: health care insurance system in this country finally and do it right. thank you, yield the floor. ms. mikulski: mr. presi we wrap up our discussion on health insurance reform, i want to say as the woman that i'm very proud of my colleagues today and how they have spoken up about the

1:22:45 to 1:28:35( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Barbara Mikulski

1:23:02 to 1:23:22( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: terrible practices of the insurance companies discriminating against women. what you heard about here today is that health care is a woman's issue, and health care reform is a must-do woman's issue, and health insurance reform is a must-change women's issue. because what we have

1:23:23 to 1:23:45( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: demonstrated is that when it comes to alth insurance, we women pay more and get less. what senate floor to say we want eq for equal premiums. we women pay more and get less when we do pay our premiums.

1:23:46 to 1:24:06( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: a 25-year-old woman is charged more equal or similar health status. and at age 40, it's often up to almost 50%. and when we do pay our benefits, when we are able to cross that barrier of getting

1:24:07 to 1:24:28( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: insurance, we get less coverage because insurance companies have certain punitive number one, we're often denied coverage because of something called a these pre-existg conditions are not catastrophic. we hear hror horror story that a woman who

1:24:29 to 1:24:50( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: has had which was medically mandated is then denied subsequent coverage because she had that. we've heard horror story after horror story that in some states victims of domestic violence are denied health insurance because they have been battered by a spouse and then they are

1:24:51 to 1:25:11( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: battered by the insurance company. this has to change. coverage for women is often scimpy and spartan. i think people would find it shocking, good men would find it shocking that maternity care is often denied as a basic coverage

1:25:12 to 1:25:34( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: or we have to pay more to cover for maternity care. also basic preventative care like mammograms and cervical screening, we have to pay significant co-pays in order to get it. so we, the women, are fighting for health care reform. we have very bas things that we support.

1:25:35 to 1:25:57( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: number one, we that and saved. we know that medicare is a woman's issue and a family issue. not only because a significa number of women -- that there are more women on medicare than there are men, but we know that

1:25:58 to 1:26:18( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: with medicare, or if it was any way curta or shrunk would mean disaster. mr. chairman, you -- mr. president, you see that i'm speaking from a wheelchair. it's because i had a falloming out of 4:00 mass a couple of weeks ago. when we go through the e.r., the

1:26:19 to 1:26:39( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: o.r., the rehab room, that if i did not have medicare and my benefit, my health care benefit, i would be bankrupt today. and if health care is good enough for a united states senator, it's good make sure we have health care for u.s. citizens. and so in order -- so we want to save medicare.

1:26:40 to 1:27:00( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: we also want to close that doughnut hole, the doughnut hole for drugs has been very, very difficulto now it's time to change that. we want to end the punitive insurance practices of discriminating on the basis of gender. so whether you have had a c-section or whether you need mental health benefits after you

1:27:01 to 1:27:21( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: have been raped, you can get your coverage. later on this weekend, there will be many in my state that will be racing for the cure. i think it's great that we're looking for the cure for breast cancer, and we salute the komen foundation. but we not only want to do the research to find the cure, we

1:27:22 to 1:27:43( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: want to make sure that women have access to preventative screening for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and cervical cancer, so we are fighting to make sure that access is -- is provided for these important screenings and there is no barriers for payment. in a nutshell, mr. president, we, the women of the senate,

1:27:44 to 1:28:04( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: have equal work. now we're fighting for equal benefits for equal premiums. we hope that when the insurance debate comes to the senate we will be able to elaborate, but today we wanted to say let's get rid of the mob scene that's going around the debate on health care. let's focus on the compelling

1:28:05 to 1:28:26( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: human nee and, mr. president, i conclude my remarks and i believe this concludes morning business. i yield the the presiding officer: the senator from arizona. mr. mccain: mr. president, i

1:28:27 to 1:28:35( Edit History Discussion )

Barbara Mikulski: nd an amendment to the desk and ask number 2626 and ask for its immediate consideration, or,