Question: Don’t we need to start with the question of universal access to health care?

Answer: [Judy Norsigian] Let me say this question was really a hot one in the early and mid-seventies. Many of you remember the National Health Services Act that was introduced, and a lot of women’s groups, including ours, helped craft some of the language. In fact, we had some language about birth centers and mid-wives long before most people even knew they were out there. And, there were some very responsive legislators. This is one of the areas where very powerful financial interests, many of the insurance companies, have played an unbelievably important role, often hidden from the public. The Clinton health reform attempt ended up with the largest players controlling what’s happened in recent years. Now we have the cut rate, for-profit managed care sort of encroaching upon very good health care organizations that started out to respond to many of the things the women’s health movement cared about. And, monied interests have really distorted that and pressures have been placed on these better organizations to behave more like the for-profit organizations who care more about the bottom line. This is one area where consumers are not going to be able to do it alone. In fact, the only way I think we will succeed is if we make alliances with more powerful physicians to insist on quality guarantees. We also have to push for legislative reform. Some of the reforms will pass, some of them won’t. It will depend a lot on how good we are at getting out there, being active.

Answer: [Judy Norsigian] I think the answer lies in part with hammering home the importance of being educated critics of mass media. And I have a recommendation for you. It is a film that is only fifteen minutes long, a documentary called "Redefining Liberation", which was put out by the National NOW Foundation about a year ago. I have found it to be one of the most important discussion tools in high school settings and college settings. It only costs ten dollars. So, I want to tell you all about it, because it really stops girls in their tracks and forces them to ask the question, "How am I being manipulated right now by all these mass media messages", and it gets them thinking.