10 ways Obamacare improved LGBT access to health coverage
Now, more than ever, it's worth celebrating how far access to health coverage has come for the LGBT community. And a big part of improved access to health insurance is due to the Affordable Care Act – also known as Obamacare.
The law offers a long list of historic protections for LGBT Americans.
Among the most significant protections:
- No U.S. citizen can be denied preventive coverage because of sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
- Lifetime and annual caps on coverage are now prohibited – and that's good news for everyone, but especially for people living with HIV.
- People can no longer be denied health insurance coverage due to pre-existing conditions such as cancer or HIV.
- LGBT couples are now eligible for special enrollment periods – just like any other couple.
But that's just the beginning. This infographic, from healthinsurance.org offers an easy-to-digest list of 10 of the most important health access benefits gained by LGBT communities since passage of the ACA.
Available for download as a jpeg or PDF, the infographic is a quick primer for anyone concerned about healthcare equity – and a great tool for spreading the word that there's never been a better time to explore your health coverage options.
(Unfortunately, even with advances in coverage, research shows that one of the biggest hurdles facing the LGBT community is that many people haven't yet learned that the law offers expanded protections for individuals and families.)
For more information, contact Steve Anderson at healthinsurance.org.steve.anderson@healthinsurance.org | (817) 991-9791
