Women's Health Coverage Studied

Women with employer-based health insurance are almost twice as likely as are men to be covered as dependents, according to a new study.

25% of women are covered as dependents under their spouse’s health plan, compared to 13% of men, according to the study of U.S. Census Bureau data by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Menlo Park, Calif.

That makes many women more vulnerable than are men to losing their insurance should they become widowed or divorced or if their spouse lose their jobs, notes the foundation.