Slipping through the safety net: implications for women's health

The failure of the 104th Congress to pass legislation that would have provided universal health care coverage has created gaping holes in the health care safety net for the working poor. As a result, the number of Americans without health insurance, which was 37 million in 1992, could reach 50 million in 1998. Current changes in welfare policy, centered on reform of the joint federal-state program Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), have further redefined the safety net for the poor. These changes may jeopardize the health of poor women as any change in eligibility requirements for AFDC also limits eligibility for Medicaid. Given the financial and social difficulties facing poor women, a growing number of researchers are redefining what constitutes research on women's health. Research is needed on how the high rates of health problems and few health resources of poor racial/ethnic minority women affect their quality of life.