At the heart of this administration is a core
belief in equality. This belief means ensuring that lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) Americans have the same protections and opportunities as
their family members, neighbors, friends, and colleagues. Among the many areas
where we are working to ensure that fairness for LGBT individuals is health
care. All Americans, no less LGBT individuals, deserve the right to
accessible, affordable, quality health care. Observing LGBT Pride Month in June
spotlights our commitment to addressing the special health needs of LGBT
Americans and reducing health disparities for them and members of other
vulnerable communities.
Studies have shown that health disparities related to sexual orientation and
gender identity are due partly to lower rates of health coverage. LGBT
individuals have encountered discrimination in the health care system for
decades, and many studies have shown that they are affected by chronic disease
at a higher rate than other Americans.
The Affordable Care Act has already made significant progress toward ending
some of the worst insurance company abuses and toward helping ensure that LGBT
Americans have access to coverage when they need it most. For example, the
Affordable Care Act ends lifetime dollar limits on benefits, allowing for
long-term comprehensive treatment of chronic diseases. In addition, the
federal website, HealthCare.gov, designed to help all consumers find the health
insurance best suited to their needs, makes it easy to locate health insurers
that cover domestic partners.
The Affordable Care Act will give all Americans, including LGBT Americans,
improved access to health coverage through an expanded, stronger Medicaid
program and new affordable Insurance Exchanges, marketplaces for quality,
affordable health insurance. And as of last fall, insurers can no longer deny
coverage to children because of pre-existing health conditions – a protection
that will extend to every American in 2014. Similarly, insurers will no
longer be able to turn someone away just because he or she is lesbian, gay,
bisexual, or transgender. Additionally under the new law, many Americans,
including LGBT individuals, can now get vital preventive services, such as
mammograms, HIV testing, and other cancer screenings, with no co-pay or
deductible.
The Department of Health and Human Services continues to address the specific
health concerns of LGBT Americans, by working to incorporate data collection on
LGBT populations into national health surveys and issuing rules requiring
hospitals to allow same-sex partners the ability to visit each other in the
hospital.
Our efforts haven’t stopped with health care. When confronted with the
tragic suicides of LGBT teens around the country who had been bullied, this
administration launched a historic effort to stop the bullying of LGBT children
and youth in their homes, schools, and communities. We’ve also launched a new
website called StopBullying.gov, a one-stop shop where kids, teens, parents,
and educators can go online to learn about preventing and stopping bullying.
During Pride Month, we celebrate our accomplishments while focusing on the work
still to be done. Our department is committed to improving the health and
well-being of all Americans, including LGBT Americans, and we look forward to
continuing this work during Pride Month and beyond.
For more information about how the Affordable Care Act is giving LGBT Americans
more control over their health care, see factsheets and brochures.
Reprinted at http://www.keystothecloset.blogspot.com,
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