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The US Supreme Court appears to be poised to overturn the protection of abortion access in the Roe v. Wade case, and some court observers warn that LGBTQ + rights protection may follow. doing.
According to a recently published survey of 520 Americans identified as LGBTQ +, many are already facing discrimination in the medical field.
A survey conducted by the health insurance website HealthCare.com included 520 respondents, of whom 40% were bisexual, 30% gay, 12% lesbian, and 18% transgender, pansexual. Question, weird.
One in eight LGBTQ + Americans surveyed said they experienced discrimination from health insurance companies. Subgroups such as those identified as transgender or bisexual can be even higher, but the sample size of these subgroups was not sufficient to draw definitive conclusions.
Young people tended to report that they were experiencing discrimination. About one in five millennial (22%) and Gen Z (20%) respondents said they experienced discrimination from health insurance companies. In contrast, only 3% of baby boomers and 11% of Generation X respondents reported insurance-related discrimination.
These findings are consistent with evidence that LGBTQ + patients also face discrimination from healthcare providers. According to a report from the Center for American Progress, 1 in 10 Americans with LGBTQ + have been abused by health care providers.
Optimistic news is that 32% of HealthCare.com survey respondents believe that LGBTQ + American health insurance is improving, while a minority (13%) believe it is deteriorating. Is to be.
Health insurance status and costs
Survey respondents reported various health insurance coverage. One-third was covered by Medicare, 23% by employers, 18% by Medicaid, and 10% by the federal or state health insurance market.
Only 7% of respondents did not have health insurance. Overall, LGBTQ + Americans may be slightly more uninsured than non-LGBTQ + people, according to government data, although within the margin of error of the survey, but slightly less than the general population. Coverage disparities are more pronounced in some groups of LGBTQ + people. Specifically, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, transgender people are uninsured and are more likely to report cost-related care barriers.
Without health insurance, finding affordable medical services could be a major barrier, according to Dr. Maria C. Monge, an associate professor of pediatrics, internal medicine and medical education at the University of Texas at Dell Medical School and head of adolescent medicine. There is a possibility of becoming. Austin.
“The cost of insurance alone, and it’s not even deductible, but for some people, it feels like this: [health insurance is] It’s not worth it, “said Monge. “Even if you have a choice, people can’t afford it.”
Coverage disruption
According to a HealthCare.com study, even people with health insurance aren’t sure they can cover what they need.
The majority of respondents (60%) said that health insurance is a frequently requested service for LGBTQ + patients (gender-verifying medications, gender-verifying procedures, pre-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV (PrEP), or fertility treatment. Etc.) said I don’t know if it covers. .. Another 20% said health insurance did not cover any of these services, and 10% said health insurance covered sex-verifying hormones and PrEP.
If insurance is not covered, the care people need can be exorbitant. For example, 20% of survey respondents who say they don’t take PrEP say it’s too high and aren’t covered by insurance.
Financial reserve
Despite the challenges, LGBTQ + respondents have an advantage over the general public when it comes to certain aspects of health insurance and personal finance related to health care.
For example, nearly a quarter (24%) of respondents say they save $ 6,000 compared to just 14% of the general population.
These resources may help explain why 39% of LGBTQ + respondents reported having medical debt.
Respondents who identified themselves as homosexual were even less likely to have medical debt, with 75% reporting nothing. Young respondents, on the other hand, are more likely to be in debt, with 56% of millennials paying for medical care.
Overall, for one in three respondents with medical debt, the amount is over $ 1,000.
More than half (53%) of respondents were to some extent or very concerned that serious health problems could lead to medical debt and even bankruptcy. Among millennials, that figure was 63%.
According to Monge, reducing anti-LGBTQ + discrimination and barriers to care should be a concern for everyone, not just LGBTQ + people.
“People’s health is only as good as the health of their community,” she said. “We need to be concerned about the health of our communities, not just ourselves, because no one can be healthy unless they are healthy.”
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