Letter: Women — On Election Day, the Choice is Yours!

To The Editor:

We have all heard the saying, “If you have your health, you have everything”.

Today, women in Chester County and across Pennsylvania will go to the ballot box with a clear and hugely consequential choice. We need a president who will protect the health, rights and opportunities of women, and fight for an economic future where our daughters and granddaughters can succeed. Barack Obama is that president.

Gender Equality is not a political issue.  It is an issue of fundamental constitutional rights and is the foundation of health and economic strength for women, for families and for our country.  Like equal pay for women, women’s health, including reproductive choices has been shown to have a direct correlation to the economic health of a family and the community.

Before the President’s health care law, being a woman was considered a “pre-existing condition”, which allowed insurance companies to charge women up to 150% more for health insurance than men. Obamacare will help to lower health costs for women and their families, ensuring that 3.8 million women and girls in Pennsylvania will no longer face discrimination because of their gender.

Thanks to Obamacare, women in Pennsylvania and across the country will be able to receive preventive services without co-pays or deductibles, including maternity screenings, mammograms, and well-woman visits. And now, many insurance plans are beginning to fully cover birth control without co-pays or deductibles as part of women’s preventive care—potentially saving women hundreds of dollars every year.

President Obama will see that Planned Parenthood will be funded so they can offer affordable health care screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer and reproductive healthcare for women with limited resources.   Family planning is as much an economic issue as it is a women’s health issue.  Providing these services for women saves lives and eliminates the cost of more expensive treatment incurred when illnesses are not diagnosed early.

In contrast, Governor Romney has vowed to repeal Obamacare “on day one” of his administration. And if he is successful, women and their families will once again be burdened by insurance abuses, higher health care costs, and fewer vital services.

Governor Romney has also promised to defund Planned Parenthood and he refused to say whether he would support gender equality through equal pay for equal work.

Mitt Romney’s plan threatens the health, the rights and opportunities of every woman in Pennsylvania and across the country. If elected President, he has vowed to follow the platform of his Party and work to overturn Roe vs. Wade, further impacting women’s healthcare choices and rights. We should not and cannot afford to let this happen.

President Obama knows that a woman’s health care choices are personal decisions, best made by her and her doctor, not by a politician.  We believe that the clear choice for a President who cares about the health and constitutional rights of every woman and every citizen is Barack Obama.

On Election Day the choice is ours.  A vote for President Obama is a vote for women’s health and a vote for America’s economic health.

We hope you will join us in casting a vote for President Obama and a healthy future!

 

Carolyn Comitta

Mayor of West Chester

 

Kathi Cozzone

Chester County Commissioner

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3 Comments

  1. Maria Celia Hernandez says:

    Dear Editor
    To all in general.If the Government would sit and take notice and account in what and in how much they would save if they give check ups and take care of any problem that could become costly in the end they would have approve the Obama Care. Making test to all for findings of anything that can be treatening to a life and preventing to get worst which will cost much more if not treated ,or care of it and do the possible to get that person well as soon can avoid high cost in medicines ,treatments ,operations . visits to the hospitals to the city state and the Government .The people and the Government has to help each other.The Government, because the government has to give funds for research , to find what is ailling anyone in case of virus , serching for a medicine that can combat or protect and other ,research for cures .

    In the other thing that are important to woman, If the Government help the woman to protect them selves there would not be so many abortion .Children would not be suffereing in homes were there is
    answers to their conflits no way out of relationships that destroy the woman body mind and spirit ,making choices that do not help them but hurt them more,Some will loose their future living with men they do not love and support abuse up to getting kill because the court is no help no protection and so the end of those reklationships end in the worst possible way.
    The man abuses uses and takes her place to own her home the assistance and does nothing but give her grevances and terrible acts of abusive.There the government also looses funds because not helping the woman get an education or training so she can help herselve and be able to live by herself and not depend on someone who has no interest in been the husband or the boyfriend who takes care of her and also her children from that man or another.
    I believe helping the people is helping the Government.Because all that happens to the people one way or another the do get part of what is lost.Because they have to give funds to help in a death sircunstances the bill is to much to be afforted,in sickness,deseases,accidents,fires ,storms, loosing a job.well you named.I believe if the President stays in this 4 more years he will make changes that will help the people and the Country.Taking care of what has been hurting the economy ,the people and the Government it would be worth it in the end.This is why I voted for the President he learned allot and the plan he has has good way to make changes that can help fifferent ways. For the people and the needs that this country has.I voted Because is time to help the people.And because we do have a good President it is not the president we have to change ,It’s the way the government and others have been working.If I could sign for this President to stay for not 4 but for 8 years I would.MCH 11-67-2012

  2. Diane Hilferty says:

    You must be kidding. A Vote for Obama is a vote for women!!!!?????? Nothing could be further from the truth. He is leading us towards socialized medicine with Obamacare. We do need insurance overhaul but not per Obama’s plan which only raises costs. Don’t you realize Obamacare is a sham proven by the many non-health related laws hidden in this agenda. Untruth: Roe vs Wade can be overturned. Nothing in Romney’s plan threatens a woman’s health. You are fear mongering with your statements. Shame on you both.

  3. eleanor Singer says:

    great article

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