For Immediate Release:

McCain-Palin's Health Plan Unhealthy for Women
New report highlights why McCain is "Worse for Women"

Madison, WI – This week, the Planned Parenthood Action Fund and the Center for American Progress Action Fund released a report analyzing the effects McCain's health plan would have on women’s access to health care. With 14% of women uninsured in the United States, the results of the report show that McCain's health care solutions would threaten women's health and lives.

Senator McCain's health plan promises a radical restructuring of our current health care system, but rather than expanding coverage, it would undo current protections for women, leaving them at the mercy of health insurers with an eye solely on their bottom line. Included in his plan is the push for further use of health savings accounts, or HSAs which women are less likely to benefit from due to their lower incomes and the decreased likelihood of receiving employer contributions.

"Women have a lot at stake under any health care reform plan. They are more frequent users of health care services with unique reproductive health care needs, they tend to have higher medical expenses and out-of-pocket costs and are typically paid less than men so they have less disposable income to devote to their own health care," stated Chris Taylor, Public Policy Director for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin (PPAWI). "Women will lose under the McCain plan, making them more vulnerable to losing coverage and care, consequently endangering their health and well-being," concluded Taylor.

According to the report, McCain's plan would gut state requirements aimed specifically at protecting women's access to some of their most basic health needs. In Wisconsin, state statute requires that insurers provide coverage of basic health care services such as mammograms, drugs for treatment of HIV infection and maternity leave. McCain's plan jeopardizes coverage of these services and devastatingly:

· eliminates coverage of cervical cancer and HPV screening

· eliminates coverage of the HPV vaccine

· eliminates comprehensive drug benefit plans that include contraceptives

· eliminates coverage of breast reconstruction

"McCain's health plan will have damaging effects on women’s health," said Taylor. "Women deserve comprehensive, affordable, quality health care that serves all their health needs, rather than the inadequate McCain-Palin health care plan that will leave many women worse off than they are now."

Contrary to the McCain-Palin ticket, PPAWI endorsed candidate Barack Obama believes that every American has the right to affordable health care and has vowed to rid Washington of the restrictive policies of the Bush Administration and the Republican Platform have imposed on women and their families.

To learn more about PPAWI's endorsed candidates and actions to preserve women's access to basic health care, go to www.ppawi.org/elections.

###

Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin is the advocacy arm of Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin (PPWI). The mission of PPWI is to empower all individuals to manage their sexual and reproductive health through direct services, education, and advocacy.  www.ppawi.org

Paid for by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Wisconsin, a 501 c4 qualified nonprofit organization, Tanya Atkinson, Treasurer.

Not authorized by any candidate or candidate's agent or committee.