Today's New York Times carries more evidence of dysfunction in the individual insurance market, where many more Americans are being forced as they lose jobs and where John McCain would send them if his health care plan were enacted. The story, based on a National Women's Law Center study, reveals that women pay significantly more for individual health plans than men.

According to the story:

Insurers say they have a sound reason for charging different premiums: Women ages 19 to 55 tend to cost more than men because they typically use more health care, especially in the childbearing years. But women still pay more than men for insurance that does not cover maternity care.

Women also make 30 percent less than men on average. This is another example of why we need group insurance, not individual plans manipulated by the insurance industry to maximize their financial gain.

So what if women consume more health care at certain times of their lives? So do the old, and the chronically ill. Insurance is supposed to be a method where everybody pays to lower the very high bills of those who have unanticipated or otherwise unaffordable health care costs.

How many women might reject the idea of having babies if they had to pick up the entire medical cost? Health insurance, spread among the entire population, is a rational way to financially support this societally important task -- spawning the next generation.

Given the underlying economics, you'd think this latest study would lead Right to Life would come out against the McCain plan.