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When Women Get Sick: An Empowering Approach for Getting the Support You Need
Giving women the tools to navigate a healthcare system not built for them.
More than twenty-five years ago, Rebecca Bloom left her post as an employee benefits and compensation lawyer at one of the most well-known New York City law firms to pursue her passion for women's health advocacy. Drawing on her expertise in the complex rules that govern employers, insurers, and medical providers--as well as the dynamics between these stakeholders--Bloom has spent decades empowering women to confidently integrate the information and focus fully on recovery and wellness.
In When Women Get Sick Bloom offers much-needed insight to women and their supporters, diving into essential topics such as building support networks, taming the insurance beast, communicating with doctors, and staying mindful. She exposes the way the healthcare industrial complex disadvantages women, and she empowers them to find the support they need.
Using women's stories and Bloom's own experience in the trenches, this book guides readers with examples, questions, checklists, useful information, and tips. There's enough stress and fear surrounding cancer and other serious illnesses. Bloom gives women tools to make the best decisions for them in all areas of their healthcare journey.
More than twenty-five years ago, Rebecca Bloom left her post as an employee benefits and compensation lawyer at one of the most well-known New York City law firms to pursue her passion for women's health advocacy. Drawing on her expertise in the complex rules that govern employers, insurers, and medical providers--as well as the dynamics between these stakeholders--Bloom has spent decades empowering women to confidently integrate the information and focus fully on recovery and wellness.
In When Women Get Sick Bloom offers much-needed insight to women and their supporters, diving into essential topics such as building support networks, taming the insurance beast, communicating with doctors, and staying mindful. She exposes the way the healthcare industrial complex disadvantages women, and she empowers them to find the support they need.
Using women's stories and Bloom's own experience in the trenches, this book guides readers with examples, questions, checklists, useful information, and tips. There's enough stress and fear surrounding cancer and other serious illnesses. Bloom gives women tools to make the best decisions for them in all areas of their healthcare journey.
222 pages, Hardcover
Published July 29, 2025
12 people are currently reading
120 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
July 16, 2025
At some point, each of us will find ourselves on a difficult health journey.
Maybe we are the ones who have become ill, or maybe it’s a loved one.
And when that happens, we will all need Rebecca Bloom’s book.
I was lucky to get an early copy, and couldn't put it down.
It’s easy to read, and has actionable tips at the end of each chapter. The book covers topics ranging from talking to health care providers to managing insurance to dealing with on-the-job discrimination.
One of my favorite chapters advises women in health crisis to designate a “Chief of Staff” whom they can tap with challenges as they arise and who can coordinate the full support team. Don’t wait until you need it—buy it and read it now. It will make you a better friend, and potentially prepare you for what lies ahead
Maybe we are the ones who have become ill, or maybe it’s a loved one.
And when that happens, we will all need Rebecca Bloom’s book.
I was lucky to get an early copy, and couldn't put it down.
It’s easy to read, and has actionable tips at the end of each chapter. The book covers topics ranging from talking to health care providers to managing insurance to dealing with on-the-job discrimination.
One of my favorite chapters advises women in health crisis to designate a “Chief of Staff” whom they can tap with challenges as they arise and who can coordinate the full support team. Don’t wait until you need it—buy it and read it now. It will make you a better friend, and potentially prepare you for what lies ahead
July 17, 2025
Rebecca Bloom's book is a magnificent analysis of our broken health system and how it affects women. It provides a detailed roadmap for anyone on caring for a woman or a loved one or any other friend on a health journey. The stories in the book are meaningful and illustrative and provide great insight into available options for women to have better experiences with our health system, the workplace and beyond. It is a profound primer laced with hope and inspiration.
Highly recommended!!
Highly recommended!!
July 6, 2025
[I was provided an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.]
I'm sure many will comment favorably on the practical advice and real-world stories contained in *When Women Get Sick* -- and I wholeheartedly agree. The strategies and tools for women navigating serious illness, along with the personal stories shared so openly and in such moving detail, alone would make Rebecca Bloom's perceptive, empathetic, no-nonsense book well worth the read.
But, speaking as serious-illness survivor who once had to do battle with a bewildering mess of a healthcare system while at my lowest point, what I found even more gripping was the second to last chapter, "The Safety Net" (it might have been called "The Unsafe Net with Mostly Holes"), which steps back to take a look at our crazy medical labyrinth: how it got this way and why it fails so many -- especially women. Bloom offers a brief, fascinating history of modern US healthcare, starting in the 19th century and taking in the perspectives and impact of doctor associations, hospital administrators, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, public attitudes, laws, government policy, and of course the people it's supposedly all there for: patients.
This story has been told in many forms, but till now I hadn't read such a clear, concise, enlightening account. I admit it did not leave me optimistic; the healthcare maze is so huge, twisted, and calcified, there seems little hope of reforming it. Maybe we need to burn it down and start all over again.
Bloom follows up, however, with a concluding chapter that gives me hope. That hope is based on women's strengths and flourishes with what her friend Amy calls "circles of goodness":
"... women handle so much. They run their homes even when they work outside of them. From her own experience, she said, we’ve got to form what she calls circles of goodness around women when
they get sick, because in those moments, they cannot handle everything. Amy calls for a culture where it is okay for women to ask for help and be willing to accept it."
*When Women Get Sick* is an important step on the way to creating such a culture. If you want to be part of that movement, as I do, you should read it.
- Jocelyn Davis, author of *Ticket to Madland: How I Went Insane and Met New People*
I'm sure many will comment favorably on the practical advice and real-world stories contained in *When Women Get Sick* -- and I wholeheartedly agree. The strategies and tools for women navigating serious illness, along with the personal stories shared so openly and in such moving detail, alone would make Rebecca Bloom's perceptive, empathetic, no-nonsense book well worth the read.
But, speaking as serious-illness survivor who once had to do battle with a bewildering mess of a healthcare system while at my lowest point, what I found even more gripping was the second to last chapter, "The Safety Net" (it might have been called "The Unsafe Net with Mostly Holes"), which steps back to take a look at our crazy medical labyrinth: how it got this way and why it fails so many -- especially women. Bloom offers a brief, fascinating history of modern US healthcare, starting in the 19th century and taking in the perspectives and impact of doctor associations, hospital administrators, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, public attitudes, laws, government policy, and of course the people it's supposedly all there for: patients.
This story has been told in many forms, but till now I hadn't read such a clear, concise, enlightening account. I admit it did not leave me optimistic; the healthcare maze is so huge, twisted, and calcified, there seems little hope of reforming it. Maybe we need to burn it down and start all over again.
Bloom follows up, however, with a concluding chapter that gives me hope. That hope is based on women's strengths and flourishes with what her friend Amy calls "circles of goodness":
"... women handle so much. They run their homes even when they work outside of them. From her own experience, she said, we’ve got to form what she calls circles of goodness around women when
they get sick, because in those moments, they cannot handle everything. Amy calls for a culture where it is okay for women to ask for help and be willing to accept it."
*When Women Get Sick* is an important step on the way to creating such a culture. If you want to be part of that movement, as I do, you should read it.
- Jocelyn Davis, author of *Ticket to Madland: How I Went Insane and Met New People*
June 3, 2025
I was very fortunate to receive an advance reader copy of Rebecca Bloom’s insightful When Women Get Sick: An Empowering Approach for Getting the Support You Need, which is a fantastic resource for anyone navigating the complexities of our healthcare system. Filled with practical strategies, hard-won wisdom, and eye-opening anecdotes, this is a must-read for those with an illness and anyone who supports them.
This book will empower and anger you, and I hope as readers discover it and say, "Enough!" to our current system, change may occur. So much of this book spoke to me but this paragraph really sums it up:
"While doctors, employees, hospital administrators, and entrepreneurs can all play a role in dismantling the grip that greed has on our health-care system—and I believe necessity will eventually force this result—women, the gatherers, givers, culture keepers, and role models, can start the necessary revolution, one pair of confidantes at a time. Walking together when we’re filled with fear or when we feel disenfranchised is so much better than walking alone. It can change the journey."
This book is accessible, meaningful, helpful, and above all, necessary. Thank you, Rebecca, for all you do!
This book will empower and anger you, and I hope as readers discover it and say, "Enough!" to our current system, change may occur. So much of this book spoke to me but this paragraph really sums it up:
"While doctors, employees, hospital administrators, and entrepreneurs can all play a role in dismantling the grip that greed has on our health-care system—and I believe necessity will eventually force this result—women, the gatherers, givers, culture keepers, and role models, can start the necessary revolution, one pair of confidantes at a time. Walking together when we’re filled with fear or when we feel disenfranchised is so much better than walking alone. It can change the journey."
This book is accessible, meaningful, helpful, and above all, necessary. Thank you, Rebecca, for all you do!
July 30, 2025
There are some books you pick up for information, and others you keep close for comfort. When Women Get Sick is both.
With warmth, wisdom, and disarming clarity, Rebecca Bloom writes in a way that makes you feel instantly at ease—like you're being talked to by a trusted friend, not lectured at by an expert. Her writing is accessible and affirming, never intimidating, even when the subject matter might be. That’s her gift: taking something complex or overwhelming and making it feel not only manageable, but deeply human.
When Women Get Sick is practical, relatable, and information rich. Even more than that, it’s personal. Bloom breaks down actionable steps you can take now—and ones you can prepare to take when the need arises. She makes it all seem doable and demystifies so many of the things you’re just supposed to know when it comes to health care in America.
There’s no one I’d rather have in my corner than Rebecca Bloom and through this book, she’s now in your corner, too. You couldn’t ask for a better advocate—or a more grounded, generous guide on how to be the best advocate for yourself and for the women you love.
With warmth, wisdom, and disarming clarity, Rebecca Bloom writes in a way that makes you feel instantly at ease—like you're being talked to by a trusted friend, not lectured at by an expert. Her writing is accessible and affirming, never intimidating, even when the subject matter might be. That’s her gift: taking something complex or overwhelming and making it feel not only manageable, but deeply human.
When Women Get Sick is practical, relatable, and information rich. Even more than that, it’s personal. Bloom breaks down actionable steps you can take now—and ones you can prepare to take when the need arises. She makes it all seem doable and demystifies so many of the things you’re just supposed to know when it comes to health care in America.
There’s no one I’d rather have in my corner than Rebecca Bloom and through this book, she’s now in your corner, too. You couldn’t ask for a better advocate—or a more grounded, generous guide on how to be the best advocate for yourself and for the women you love.
August 10, 2025
Rebecca masterfully crafts an important read for anyone but particularly women. She somehow melds simple yet helpful advice and tips with engrossing stories from a lifetime of being a health advocate. Her voice and prose will keep you glued to the page while her advice will guide anyone confused or overwhelmed by our sometimes insane healthcare system. Her insightful guidance through different stages of a healthcare journey and knowledge of the industry, how to navigate complex and scary issues, and the history of how we as a society got to this place are highly impressive yet it is the care and attention she pays to each woman’s story that will stick with me the most. She crafts delicate stories with ease and utilizes them to share her years of wisdom to her readers in a highly effective and impactful manner. I am so glad she has focused on the particular issues women will face in the healthcare system but men can learn a thing or two too. This is a must read for anyone that is faced with a healthcare headache or just wants to be prepared.
May 23, 2025
The thing about this book is that almost everyone has a woman in their life and almost all women have health challenges at some point in their lives. So while on the surface, it seems like this book is for a limited subset of readers, it’s really for most readers. Rebecca Bloom’s decades of experience as an attorney and health advocate make her an exceptional challenge to write about this topic and she does so with an adept thoroughness. And the sad fact is that we’ll all have to deal with insurance woes and healthcare headaches at some point, whether for routine things or for frightening diagnoses. This book helps us navigate through the process with a delicacy and forthright nature, providing a lot of examples and helpful information. Healthcare advocacy is now essential more than ever — this book is a necessary companion to getting the best care possible.
July 29, 2025
I Wish I Had This Book When My Mother Got Sick
This book is a marvel that will create a movement. With each chapter, health advocate Rebecca Bloom spells out actionable steps for women to take so they don’t feel alone in despair or frozen in a panic on their health journeys. You can feel the purity of her commitment on each page and it filled me with hope. I believe this book should be carried by every hospital, health center and women’s organization in America, as it takes incredibly complicated, stressful things and makes them accessible and comforting. IF ONLY my mother had had this book. IF ONLY my mother had known Rebecca Bloom! Buy it for your mother! And your sisters and best friends. This book shows how we can get through and heal. It is a MUST READ and resource for everyone’s library.
This book is a marvel that will create a movement. With each chapter, health advocate Rebecca Bloom spells out actionable steps for women to take so they don’t feel alone in despair or frozen in a panic on their health journeys. You can feel the purity of her commitment on each page and it filled me with hope. I believe this book should be carried by every hospital, health center and women’s organization in America, as it takes incredibly complicated, stressful things and makes them accessible and comforting. IF ONLY my mother had had this book. IF ONLY my mother had known Rebecca Bloom! Buy it for your mother! And your sisters and best friends. This book shows how we can get through and heal. It is a MUST READ and resource for everyone’s library.
May 12, 2025
Well-researched and highly readable, Rebecca Bloom's When Women Get Sick will surely be an important resource for women facing cancer and other serious illnesses. Bloom's book is also an unvarnished look into the complexities of the healthcare payer-provider relationship and how women (and especially women of color) often find themselves at a disadvantage. Bloom provides practical advice, useful information, and helpful tips for navigating a serious medical illness while simultaneously battling the multi-headed beasts of health insurance and a healthcare industrial complex that is often anything but straightforward.
Thank you to Broadleaf Books and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #WhenWomenGetSick #NetGalley
Thank you to Broadleaf Books and NetGalley for the advance reader's digital copy. #WhenWomenGetSick #NetGalley
August 20, 2025
I was all the way in from the first page of the introduction. Rebecca's writing is engaging and beautiful. I underlined sentences, marked whole paragraphs, and dog-eared pages. Now that I'm finished, I want to read this book again. There is so much to learn.
Whether it’s now or still to come, many of us will face a serious illness, or be a helper to someone we love who is sick. At a time of such overwhelming stress, we need this author's clear, compassionate voice guiding us through complicated health care systems, insurance, treatment options, communicating with doctors, building support networks, and so much more.
Rebecca's is a kind, caring voice of wisdom, experience, and expertise. I’m so grateful this book exists!
Whether it’s now or still to come, many of us will face a serious illness, or be a helper to someone we love who is sick. At a time of such overwhelming stress, we need this author's clear, compassionate voice guiding us through complicated health care systems, insurance, treatment options, communicating with doctors, building support networks, and so much more.
Rebecca's is a kind, caring voice of wisdom, experience, and expertise. I’m so grateful this book exists!
September 30, 2025
Amazing!!!
So often, books about illness and advocacy seem written only for older women or those already in crisis. What struck me about When Women Get Sick is how relevant it feels even at 23. Bloom exposes how the healthcare system can disadvantage women, but more importantly, she gives us the tools to push back.
I especially appreciated her focus on building support networks and asking the right questions at doctor’s appointments—things that sound simple, but make a huge difference. The mix of personal stories, checklists, and practical advice makes the book both accessible and impactful.
This isn’t just a book for when you’re sick—it’s one that prepares you to advocate for your health and someone you love before you ever need to.
So often, books about illness and advocacy seem written only for older women or those already in crisis. What struck me about When Women Get Sick is how relevant it feels even at 23. Bloom exposes how the healthcare system can disadvantage women, but more importantly, she gives us the tools to push back.
I especially appreciated her focus on building support networks and asking the right questions at doctor’s appointments—things that sound simple, but make a huge difference. The mix of personal stories, checklists, and practical advice makes the book both accessible and impactful.
This isn’t just a book for when you’re sick—it’s one that prepares you to advocate for your health and someone you love before you ever need to.
May 17, 2025
What an incredible book. I feel like everyone should read it and sadly, many won't until they need it. But that works too. When my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 ovarian cancer in 2004, I wish I had this book by my side. Navigating the difficult challenges of our health care system was just one step in the difficult journey ahead for her and for me. This book is so helpful and well-written that I know it will make a huge difference in the lives of anyone who feels drawn to it. Both those facing illness and those providing support will gain insights, wisdom and confidence to help them through the process. I'm grateful that Rebecca wrote this book. What a gift to the world.
May 21, 2025
Bloom's book offers a way forward through the often-paralyzing anxiety that can come with getting sick as a woman. I found empowering advice throughout—from practicalities of managing insurance and processes, to strategies for managing supportive relationships and creating mindfulness and mental strength. The chapter on communicating with doctors gives specific advice that can help women create the relationships they want with their doctors—tips we can all use in today's overloaded health system, as we look for authentic relationships within it. Thank you for the practical advice and behind-the-scenes insights!
May 27, 2025
We all know that the healthcare system is complicated and that women do an inequitable amount of caregiving. So what happens when women themselves get sick? Rebecca Bloom's expertise, compassion, and conviction that all women deserve support deeply permeates When Women Get Sick, the guide every woman -- and every person who cares about a woman -- needs to navigate a challenging chapter.
--Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C, psychotherapist and author of Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period
--Lauren Tetenbaum, LCSW, JD, PMH-C, psychotherapist and author of Millennial Menopause: Preparing for Perimenopause, Menopause, and Life's Next Period
July 22, 2025
Oof. This book is a gut punch and a godsend. Rebecca Bloom doesn’t just write about the healthcare system—she grabs you by the hand and walks you through the minefield with stories that are disturbingly familiar and fiercely practical. When Women Get Sick is part field guide, part feminist manifesto, and every woman I know needs it on her nightstand. I read it like a pregnant woman with a foot-long sandwich and a bag of Doritos—desperate to take it all in, fast.
August 4, 2025
A long time-time, compassionate advocate and activist for women's health care and the need for a level playing field, Rebecca Bloom has created a compelling, accessible work that should be on every woman's book shelf. Easy to follow information and inspiration about being your own advocate as well as how family members can traverse the path of health and healing with you.
January 10, 2026
Read this BEFORE you need it. A great guide to navigating our ever changing healthcare system. Also super useful in learning how best to be a support and advocate for a woman in your life who may need it. I also learned a lot about the evolution of health insurance in the US in the second half of the book which I found very interesting.
January 11, 2026
I have metastatic breast cancer in my bones and my body. obviously I need to write a book about the experience cause this book sucked
June 17, 2025
Rebecca Bloom has done an incredible writing job a book that is not just for women but for everyone. I so appreciated reading her introduction - one that spelled out exactly why she is the right person to write this book and I am so grateful that she did. This will always be on my bookshelf. It’s a book that you should not hesitate to share with others. It’s filled with thoughtful guidance and knowledge, well-written, thought provoking and sometimes infuriating because we are so at the mercy of the medical system but with this book, you can and will be better prepared when life unfolds unexpectedly. A truly excellent book.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews