Healthcare: Being LGBT is no longer a pre-existing condition

Last week, I attended a White House briefing in Washington, D.C. about the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as “Obamacare,” and how it would impact lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans. The news was stunning. 

Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius spoke of the President’s commitment to the LGBT communities, saying, “Justice is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like everyone else under the law.” She went on to say that the LGBT community “cannot be excluded from any of our services or opportunities because of sexual orientation or gender identity.” After years of LGBT individuals being either under-insured and/or under-employed, I found this dialogue to be profoundly refreshing. 

Secretary Sebelius was followed by HHS LGBT Coordinating Committee Co-Chairs: Ken Choe, Deputy General Counsel; Kathy Greenlee, Assistant Secretary for Aging; and Dr. Howard Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health. They spoke about the issues of the Affordable Care Act: from the research and data collected, to the outreach, funding and guidance necessary to educate and enroll as many LGBT Americans as possible. Mr. Koh also announced that a first-ever comprehensive LGBT Health Report will be issued in the summer of 2014.  

We heard about all the extraordinary attention that has been paid to make sure that in our LGBT communities, we will be able to access affordable and comprehensive healthcare. It was clear to me that the administration is serious and intentional about including us in this step forward. LGBT people who have never before had access to healthcare will now be eligible, and that’s astounding. We are a community that the President and Secretary Sebelius take very seriously. Our job, then, is to make sure that we take advantage of their focus and engage.

At One Iowa, we are committed to making sure that we access the resources and the intelligence that our communities need to educate and enroll in healthcare. We will post material, links to websites, explain enrollment options, create information clinics and forums, submit op-eds, share stories, and get ourselves and our communities connected to health coverage. We believe that LGBT health is an equality issue, and as Secretary Sebilius explained, “It is the law!”

We are interested in talking to our supporters who would like to volunteer in these efforts by joining the LGBT Health & Wellness Council. We will ask you to host house parties, hang fliers, share information on your Facebook page, get engaged via Twitter and other social media sites, submit letters to the editor, assist with the conference, and simply volunteer to do what needs to be done. That work will begin in November and will continue through May 2014. 

We’re excited for you to get involved! Please email our Health & Wellness Coordinator Daniel Hoffman-Zinnel at daniel@oneiowa.org, and let him know what you’d like to do to get engaged. 

Thank you so much, and be well.