HCCD Report North Dakota 58102

North Dakota

Women in Need

Abortion Access Fund’s

Community Health Care Discussion

Based on our own experiences women’s health care is important to us because women’s health care is tied to our next generations and ranking reproductive health low on the scale of health care reform, ranks women as low in our society. Abortion is a specific medical procedure and should not have limitations or restrictions. The Hyde Amendment needs to be repealed! In order to have healthier families, women need basic affordable health care, sex education and prevention for women and men. Participants see sex education the lacking emotional part of sexual life.

When asked what we perceive as the biggest problem women face in accessing the health care system, participants saw money, insurance (which is based on marriage and employment; a system that is not efficient), education (which primarily comes from a heterosexual, male), misinformation and myths, and how many discriminate against culture and race.

We tried to rank reproductive health care reform on a scale of 1 to 10. Our group decided that it should be ranked higher than it currently does. Reproductive health is connected to many other areas of our health. It also has a huge social impact with public health and as a community issue. There is a strain on systems when family planning is not funded; for example it costs money to deny reproductive coverage, such as birth control, in the long run (for every one dollar spend on prevention, five dollars are saved). Reproductive health needs to rank higher than it is now, because, again, ranking reproductive health low keeps women ranked low in society.

Participants spoke about their experiences accessing reproductive health care. We talked about the need to recognize good providers and where to find health care accessible, barriers/access to insurance, lack of consistency in insurance coverage, pre-existing condition barriers, profit-motive mind set inhibits our level of doctor care, and the lack of resources in rural areas. Many saw restrictions through providers’ religious beliefs; we need respectful communication without judgment from our doctors and pharmacists. Shannon Bacon spoke on her experience with using the morning-after-pill, Pan B, that is a common drug that pharmacists and doctors refuse women; she states “I cant’ take oral contraceptives because they give me migraines, so I have previously been limited to barrier methods. When a condom broke during intercourse, I used Plan B over the counter. I am glad this option was available to me, but I wish it was also accessible to women under 18. These women should not need a prescription for Plan B.” We also need honest communication with our drug interactions with other drugs we are taking such as birth control; this error can lead to a life changing interaction: an unattended pregnancy. Doctors do not give enough time for patients or as questions that empower patients. Sometimes, women feel objectified in some health care settings. The increase of female doctors is also needed.

Preventative health care is an important part of being healthy and lowering money spent on health care for citizens and the state. The primary preventative health care services should be covered and routine: birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, sexual treatment infection screening and treatment (should receive test results whether positive or negative; it is unfair to deny information), comprehensive and accurate sex education that has an option to opt our of the program instead of having to request to opt in for this vital information, and counseling. Participants also see the need for healthier attitudes towards sex.

Participants were asked how they chose a doctor or a hospital, what their sources of information are, and how public policy should promote quality health care providers. Participants stated that the uninsured are charged more; having no insurance provides fewer options (having only public health services or the Emergency Room). Within this situation, spending more money and time on prevention services are important once again. Insurance should not dictate who your provider or doctor is. Public policy should promote accurate information and quality medical care and not protect personal ideology of providers. As patients we should be able to know more about doctors, perhaps such as the providers disclosing their stance on reproductive choice so we know what provider is right for us. We also need more accountability for our providers and would love to see other patients’ review of doctors.

Many of us have had difficulty paying for medical bills or at least have had some one in our family experience this. Policy makers could address this problem by having employers offering wellness incentives, eliminating pre-existing clause in health care coverage, and stressing prevention. Some of our participants spoke on taking out personal loans for medical debt and being pushed out of hospitals to early for their ability to pay for their care.

Participants were asked to address the issues of culture and racial equity within the health care system. Participants agreed that the health care system needs to treat the whole person, not just the medical condition, providers need to realize that patients’ decisions about the health care they receive is effected by what influences their daily lives, and that translators need to be accessible so that patients are well informed. Providers also need to recognize institutional factors and have training in anti-oppression and anti-racism.

We also spoke about how much our employers pay for employees’ health insurance and if we know how much our employer pays, as well as what an employer’s role should be within a reformed health care system. Employers should lobby for more accessible care and incentive packages, perhaps universal health care which would alleviate their costs and have healthier employees. Employers should be able to buy into state health insurance easier (if employers disclose health care costs with employees, it would give us a better perspective in how the health care system works). People with comprehensive health care coverage are better workers (mental health can’t be left out). Some of us have stayed in horrible jobs because of the health care coverage. Sarah Header experienced this: “I stayed at a horrible job because of the health care coverage I received. My employer gave us information on how much it cost per hour to give me health care and it shocked and scared me to stay at that job.”

Public policy can promote healthier lifestyles by making health care honest, having wellness programs with incentives (personal and tax), having educational outreach funded, professionals’ personal beliefs being “left at the door”, and having clinics and hospitals being non-profit.