Actress Lynda Carter, star of the "Wonder Woman" television series from 1975 to 1979, speaks to reporters at the Library of Congress in Washington on June 16, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
I love that Lynda Carter thinks that more women need to legislate healthcare to make things at least "gender neutral":
WASHINGTON – Actress Lynda Carter, the original Wonder Woman, called for some female senators to be added as members of the Senate healthcare reform working group that is currently crafting an Obamacare replacement.Carter also said there should be “no conversation” about gender politics until America is “gender neutral.”“That there are 13 men on the health panel and no woman is a goddamn shame. I have to say that maybe people don’t understand that I worry about my father. I worry about my brother. I am at an age where I see people who need help and we are half the world. You need the voices of women,” Carter said on Friday following a discussion at the Library of Congress as part of their “Library of Awesome” exhibit.“If women outlive men, I think we need the voices of women,” she added. “And I would really hope the president and these people on this panel would have some reason and some intellect behind their decisions here and put some women on there.”
Honey, if there is to be no conversation about gender politics until America is gender neutral, we'll wait a long time. Men are treated like second-class citizens when it comes to healthcare programs and assistance and other government revenues. Carter seems to be under the false impression that women are given less than men in the healthcare system (especially with "uncaring" men legislating), but this is simply not true: women use the majority of resources. It could be that chivalrous male legislators give more to women than female legislators would. Who knows? So maybe Carter should be careful what she wishes for.
Maybe instead of griping that women are not on the panel, Wonder Woman could put some time into a bit of research about how women are already receiving the majority of healthcare in this country. From the CMS.gov statistics:
All Payers: Total Personal Health CareIn aggregate, females spending was $1,231 billion and accounted for 56 percent of total personal health care (PHC) spending(females accounted for just over 50 percent of the population). Male spending was $962 billion and accounted for the remaining 44 percent. Per capita health spending for females was $7,860, 25 percent more than that for males, $6,313. In aggregate, female spending was higher than male spending for every category of PHC goods and services.
So, if Carter really wants things to be gender neutral, maybe we need to even things out to 50/50 in healthcare and make sure that men receive their fair share of healthcare benefits. That, however, is not a conversation that misinformed (or sexist and entitled) celebrities want to have.
No comments:
Post a Comment