Risk AIDS or Health Insurance?: Rape Victim Deemed Uninsurable For Seeking Treatment for Rape
posted by: Ximena R. 36 days ago
Imagine this:
You're away for work on a business trip. You go out to a bar and two men offer to buy you a drink. The next thing you know you wake up on the side of the road with cuts and bruises on your body indicating that you were raped. The men who bought you drinks had drugged you.
You go to the doctor for treatment and because there is no way to know whether man who raped you wore a condom you are put on preventative anti-HIV drugs. You are traumatized by the assault – even afraid to leave your house – so you seek counseling to deal with your fears, but a few months into treatment you need to find new health insurance and find out that you are all but uninsurable.
Christina Turner – the rape victim who endured this ordeal – was not surprised.
A former health insurance underwriter, Turner knew that finding health insurance for her would be difficult as a rape victim. To confirm her suspicions she began calling health insurance companies posing her story as a hypothetical situation. Each time she told her story she heard the same thing: "Nope we won't take her." To be eligible she would need to be out of counseling for one to two years and have received negative HIV tests for two to three years.
In the meantime what was Turner – and other rape victims like her – expected to do? Go without health insurance? Pay out-of-pocket for everything?
For Turner paying for private insurance was impossible. It would cost more than her monthly rent so she went without coverage for nearly three years. In doing so, she was forced to pay for her counseling, anti-depressants, and any other medical treatments on her own – all because she sought treatment for being raped.
Unfortunately, Turner is not alone.
The Huffington Post Investigative Fund's citizen journalism project to investigate how often health insurers deny claims has found that sexual assault victims are often victims of the health insurance industry. Several women have reported being denied coverage for conditions they developed as a result of their assaults like post traumatic stress disorder. Taking anti-HIV drugs or being involved in counseling also raises red flags for insurers who deny women care.
Are women who are raped suppose to decide between risking their health insurance or risking contracting HIV? Are they supposed to forgo counseling that is essential to their recovery to ensure they will have health insurance?
Rape survivors should not have to weigh these concerns in the wake of recovering from a sexual assault. They should not have to be put in a position to decide between their recovery and their long term need for health insurance. Rather, women who are raped should be encouraged to seek treatment and supported in the steps they take to deal with the aftermath of the sexual assaults they have endured.
Turner took preventative anti-HIV drugs to avoid the risk of contracting the disease; she sought counseling to deal with the fears she developed after her attack and for that she was punished with nearly three years sans health insurance – all because she took the necessary steps to take care of herself after suffering a heinous and inhumane attack. As Turner puts it, "I was punished for doing the right thing to take care of myself and my livelihood."
Denying rape victims health insurance is wholly unjust and will only further discourage victims from reporting crimes and seeking the medical attention they need. Fortunately, women like Turner are raising awareness about this injustice by sharing their stories and bringing the issue to the forefront.
You can do you part too by telling Congress we need health reform that works for women! Stand with millions of women across America who face discrimination and send your letter today!
Related articles on Care2:
Another Blow For Battered Women: Health Insurers Deny Coverage For Victims
Being a Woman Is Not A Pre-Existing Condition
6 Shockers About Women's Health Care
Take action! Send a signed petition letter to Congress. Remind lawmakers that being a woman is not a pre-existing condition!
Read more: rape, aids, hiv, womens rights, health care, health insurance, sexual assault
comments
Absolutely NOT I am a victim of rape for over nine (9) years and needed a lot of help but never got it and finally I got it many years later and without the help I got I don't know what I would have done and that is a fact.
I want to change the law from rape to manslaughter to make that crime a stiffer sentence and there should be no statue of limitations because the person that was raped was competely changed you become a totally different person.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
THERE IS A CHANCE THAT SOMEWHERE IN THIS WORLD A MAN OR A WOMAN IS GOING TO BE RAPED! With that thought in mind....does that mean that the Insurance Companies should NOT Insure Neither the MEN or the WOMEN?!? Think on that one!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
This points to the necessity to take the profit motive out of health care. When will the U.S. join the rest of the civilized world and adopt a government -run universal system? Yes, there will be problems, but nothing as bad as your current situation.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
"Sarah D -"Would you say that to a female friend who went to a bar and got raped? You are pathetic."
U Right it indeed is Pathetic for someone to make such a statement. Anyway why do anyone have to h"
Your sentence cuts off.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Everyone spread the word
Google Bootstraps Fisher Ron Paul 2012
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Debby S - "How dreadfully sad! Our society claims to be so enlightened and yet rape is still misunderstood"
Sad hey !!! Even the Most Enlightened Society needs to be educated. Unfortunately Claims of enlightenment are JUST claims,- NOT TRUE coz they are just based on peoples opinions and we realize the violent act of rape is misunderstood all over the world whether Western or Eastern Countries and is prevalent in all religions whether Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Budhism and Hinduism too
Deborah W -themselves "patriotic" are treating American women like the 'dogs' we women are deemed to be no higher than in Mid-eastern countries.
So true !! Women are Oppressed in AMERICA too as in ALL countries but it was overlooked all this time due to the worlds main focus being on Muslim Women of Mid East countries.
We now know the truth that peoples rights are being trampled on, all over the world and not restricted to any particular country or race or religion.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Why should a woman have to give a reason for going to the BAR?? She should be FREE to do whatever she wants to after all its AMERICA a country which prides itself about FREEDOM of all RIGHTS. If MEN are FREE to Go to a Bar why are some people condeming this WOMAN for going to the Bar for whatever reason she chooses to. Its HER Right. Those men had no RIGHT to DRUG and RAPE her. Only the vilest of EVIL Creatures would do such things to a Woman. Unfortunately we find such SICK People in ALL Countries, and All Religions.
Carol D -" We're nothing but slaves in this country anymore. Any semblance of democracy is gone when corporations are allowed to run the government and all our lives. We are no longer the home of the free and the brave. We're not very free, and because we put up with all this bull we could hardly be called brave. We need to grow some cojones and fight the criminal conspiracy that runs this country. We can't go on like this. Mark my words, as bad as things are now, if we don't take a firm stand we will be in chains before too long. "
It definitely seems like there is a "Criminal Conspiracy "goin on in America.
Google "New World Order" and also Google "The Arrivals" to read all about the Hidden Agenda of a Group of Elite trying to run all Countries of the world and their intention to eliminate ordinary peoples of the world like You and I. God Save Us !!! God Bless All Mankind for we all are created equal in HIS Sight whether Man or Woman, Rich or Poor, Black
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
1 in 2 wemon are raped is, it safe to assume that all wemon could be denied insurence because they have a 50%chance of being raped
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Chana D - "8 people have said that rape victims should be denied health insurance."
OMG !!! I cant believe people can be so cold and unfeeling towards fellow humans to actually say that rape victims should be denied health insurance. I like to KNOW how they will react if its Them or THEIR mothers, sisters and daughters who got raped. U will find the very same people who are opposed to it now will DEMAND for health insurance when its them or their family members who are the Victims of Rape.
Carole D - "Things are the worst for women. We have our own American Taliban who will get worse and worse unless they are stopped"
This proves WOMAN all over the world, (NOT just Muslim Countries,) are treated like 2nd Class Citizens. Also proves we cannot blame any RELIGION for WHY women are treated so Unfairly and Oppressed throughout the World.
Heather O -"Oh wait...republicans still want to control what a woman does with her body. And lots of people, women included see NOTHING wrong with that."
You have every right to feel disgusted its unbelievable that in this Modern day and age a country like AMERICA is practising Discrimination Against Women and treating them like slaves.( No Better Than Some Middle East Countries). America is going BACKWARDS instead of forward.
Sarah D -"Would you say that to a female friend who went to a bar and got raped? You are pathetic."
U Right it indeed is Pathetic for someone to make such a statement. Anyway why do anyone have to h
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Ladies....exactly why I have my own brand of justice....Lorena Bobitt made one mistake....she threw it where it could be found. The garbage disposal is a wonderful invention!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account:
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
1287056