Last night, the Trump-Pence administration urged a federal court to dismantle two of the most critical provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Since it was enacted in 2010, the ACA has had a tremendously positive impact on Americans across the country and has saved countless lives, especially in the LGBTQ community.
LGBTQ people are more likely to rate their health as poor, have more chronic conditions, and have higher prevalence and earlier onset of disabilities.
Lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to be diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and certain cancers, while gay and bisexual men report more cancer diagnoses as well as higher rates of cardiovascular disease and urinary incontinence.
According to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation study, LGBTQ people benefited significantly from the ACA:
• LGBTQ uninsured rate dropped 9 percent from 2013 to 2016, meaning an estimated 369,000 fewer LGBTQ people were uninsured.
• LGBTQ Medicaid participation increased 8 percent from 2013 to 2016, representing an estimated 511,000 more LGBTQ people gaining coverage under Medicaid.
