 (Image: Jaap Steinvoorte under CC 2.0) |
According to a new survey by the Boston Consulting Group, many female consumers in America are dissatisfied with the health insurance industry. These days, that is an opinion shared by many seeking (or trying to keep) affordable health insurance; but what makes women especially dissatisfied?
The survey results seem to blame bad customer service above all. Women still tend to shoulder a greater proportion of family responsibilities, and are therefore often responsible for scheduling appointments for themselves and family members. If a child needs to visit the doctor, it is typically the mother who takes him or her. Although that is not necessarily the fault of health insurance companies, they may express frustration towards them as a symbol of the system.
Health insurance, however, may be partially responsible for one of their pet peeves: long waiting times for lab reports and doctors. Primary care physicians, especially, have an increasing amount of their day eaten up by filling out paperwork to receive reimbursement from various health insurance carriers. Healthcare reform might simplify the process, but it may also come with its own problems and inconveniences.
Women may be more unhappy with their coverage because they tend to pay more for it than men, particularly when buying individual health insurance. Even if the policy excludes maternity coverage, the disparity still stands. Health insurers justify the cost difference by explaining that younger women, on average, file more medical claims than men of the same age. Cold comfort to women seeing the big bite out of each paycheck.
