New York, NY –On NBC’s Today Show, Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal announced that she has introduced a package of bills to address the gaps in healthcare coverage and workplace protections for women experiencing perimenopause and menopause in New York State. The Today Show featured a segment on the lack of menopausal healthcare in United States.

"Far too often, women experiencing menopause feel like they are swimming upstream without a paddle,” said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal (D/WF-Manhattan), Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing. “Between glaring gaps in medical research, as well as a lack of understanding in the workplace, women have long said that there are few resources or support during this challenging transition. That is why I introduced legislation to create New York's first menopausal bill of rights for employees, as well as to make it easier for women to manage their symptoms by requiring health insurers to cover menopausal health treatments.

Menopause is defined as the biological point at which a woman's menstrual cycle ends. This life change, which can last a decade, usually occurs between the ages of 45-55, with the average age of 51 in the U.S.Perimenopause is the period before menopause, where a person's hormones and menstrual cycle begin to fluctuate. As a result of waning estrogen and progesterone during those two stages, women's fertility declines, and most usually experience some or all of these side effects:hot flashes, cognitive disruptions, insomnia, hair loss, night sweats, anxiety, mood swings, painful sex, osteoporosis and heart disease.

Assemblymember Rosenthal's first bill would require private health insurance providers in the state to cover the cost of treatment of menopausal and perimenopausal-related conditions, such as hormone replacement therapy and other medications.  The second bill would establish a menopausal bill of rights for employees in the workplace, while also strengthening New York’s labor laws to explicitly prohibit employers from discriminating against employees experiencing menstrual or menopausal symptoms. The third bill would require the New York State Department of Health to create an informational pamphlet for patients with information on the stages of menopause, common symptoms and treatment options. These bills will help women to manage their menopausal symptoms, while also ensuring they have the tools and the support necessary to remain in the workplace.

Women going through menopause suffer financially as well. According to a recent study published by Stanford University, "women who visit a healthcare provider with menopausal-related symptoms are earning 10% less four years later," because in coping with their symptoms they either reduce their hours at work or quit their jobs altogether. Not only do women lose their standing in the workplace, but their absence costs the U.S economy $1.8 billion a year, according to the Mayo Clinic. The Mayo Clinic also found that menopausal-related treatments cost women close to $24.8 billion a year. What's more, 75% of women said they have never received proper treatment for their menopausal symptoms, and an astonishing 80% of OB-GYNs residents felt ill-prepared to discuss the topic with their patients, depriving them of necessary care.

"After authoring and passing most of the state's menstrual equity laws, including axing the tampon tax, requiring ingredient labeling on products and providing free products in schools, shelters and prisons, I realized that menopause, the next stage for most women, rightfully deserved its own spotlight," said Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. "Women's healthcare is under researched, undiscussed and undervalued, making it all the more important that our laws reflect the very real menopausal realities of women across New York State. The status quo must change, which is why I look forward to pushing these bills over the legislative finish line."