Access to health care for LGBTQ people is limited, study finds

Summary: Access to health care for LGBTQ people is a big issue, explored in this report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals often face challenges and barriers to accessing needed health services and, as a result, can experience worse health outcomes. These challenges can include stigma, discrimination, violence, and rejection by families and communities, as well as other barriers, such as inequality in the workplace and health insurance sectors, the provision of substandard care, and outright denial of care because of an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity. While sexual and gender minorities have many of the same health concerns as the general population, they experience certain health challenges at higher rates, and also face several unique health challenges. In particular, research suggests that some subgroups of the LGBT community have more chronic conditions as well as higher prevalence and earlier onset of disabilities than heterosexuals. Other major health concerns include HIV/AIDS, mental illness, substance use, and sexual and physical violence. … Some LGBT individuals are more likely to experience challenges obtaining care. Barriers include gaps in coverage, cost-related hurdles, and poor treatment from health care providers. Several recent changes within the legal and policy landscape serve to increase access to care and insurance. … The implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Supreme Court’s overturning of a major portion of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), the subsequent legalization of same-sex marriage in many states, as well as recent steps taken by the Obama Administration to promote equal treatment of LGBT people and same-sex couples in the nation’s health care system have reshaped policy affecting LGBT individuals and their families.” Source: Health and Access to Care and Coverage for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals in the U.S.,” The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.