Michelle Obama told a gathering of women’s groups today that the treatment of women under our current health care system is “unacceptable.”
Michelle Obama said women are being “crushed by the current structure of our health care” because they often are responsible for taking care of family illnesses, arranging checkups and monitoring follow-up care.
“Women are the ones to do it,” she said to an audience of 140 people, including representatives from groups such as the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and the National Council of Negro Women. “Mothers are the ones that do it. And many women find themselves doing the same thing for their spouses.”
Let us assume that Ms. Obama is right about the role of women under our current health system. I have followed the debate over reforming that system with some care, but I don’t recall seeing any provisions in the proposed House or Senate bills or even the President’s “plan” — including any version of a “public option” — that would regulate the gender balance of those “taking care of family illnesses, arranging checkups” for their families and “for their spouses.”
Perhaps I missed it. Does the President’s “plan” require a politically acceptable gender mix of those seeking newly subsidized and regulated medical services? (Of course, as explained here, not “requiring” it may lead to exactly the same result.) If not, what was the point of Ms. Obama’s remarks — beyond, of course, the purely partisan pandering.
ADDENDUM
I’ve just noticed that John Hindraker has said much the same thing.
Under Obamacare, will someone other than mothers (or fathers) arrange checkups for their kids? Take care of family illnesses? Make sure the kids are taking their medicine and get follow-up care if they need it? Is there really anything like this in any of the Democrats’ proposals? If mothers (and fathers) don’t arrange their kids’ checkups, who will? Someone else’s mother or father, apparently. No doubt they’ll care more and do a better job.
The Obama administration seems to be bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “nanny state.”
