September 21, 2009

Health Reform Touches Women's Hearts

When was the last time you saw a woman on TV have a heart attack?

Probably never. Only 20% of American women believe they are at risk for heart disease.  Society's view is that heart disease is a man's disease.  That's what I thought too until I looked down at my own EKG in graduate school (circa 1978) and saw what appeared to be a right bundle branch block.  I was shocked and terribly unsure why this thing called heart disease had landed on the strip of paper coming out the EKG machine.   Later I learned it had a name, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and I found the care I needed.  I also found that no insurance company would cover me due to a pre-existing condition.  

Last Friday, First Lady Michelle Obama spoke about health reform and its impact on women and families including women denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions. 

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