American and LGBT health care - the current situation and what is in front

American and LGBT health care - the current situation and what is in front -

Public opinion on gay rights have problems slowly become more favorable throughout the years, picking up steam in the last decade in particular. In fact, a recent Gallup poll shows that for the first time, the majority of Americans are in favor of gay marriage. Support for this can be seen in the growing number of states now grant full rights or partial marriage to same sex couples.

Although the acceptance rate increasing, many members of the LGBT community still feel disenfranchised based on a number of political and social issues. In health care, research shows that LGBT people are not on an equal footing with their heterosexual counterparts

uninsured men gays - 2: 1. Compared to heterosexual men

the reasons for this are the force in Medicare rules regarding pre-existing conditions and uneven workplace policies.

The survey results on overall health

83 percent of heterosexual adults report having excellent or very good overall health. At 77 percent, the number of gay adults who responded in this way is much less. Since gays are less likely to have health insurance, which makes sense logistically. In addition, homosexuals have increased rates of cancer, depression and addiction.

Transgender people and overall health

This group reported the most dissatisfaction in the health care department. Only 67 percent of transgender people say they have an excellent or very good health overall. 50 percent report having suicidal thoughts at some point in their life, against only 2 percent of non-transgender people.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) will work to bridge the gap between access to health insurance and health care in the lives of LGBT people. Here are some key provisions that will make a big difference.

• Under the ACA, the health insurance exchanges can not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
• LGBT Americans who could not afford health insurance in the past will be able to apply for Medicaid or may be eligible for subsidies through the exchanges.
• Starting in 2014, health insurance companies are prohibited from denying coverage based on any pre-existing condition.

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