Trump: A Proven Liar
Trump’s campaign promises are once again proven to be lies. On a “60 Minutes” interview (CBS News 9/27/15) Candidate Trump told interviewer Scott Pelley, “Everybody’s going to be taken care of much better than they’re taken care of now.” What a line of bull.
With the rollout of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) by the GOP and the Trump Administration, we clearly see their callous disregard for the welfare of the American people.
AHCA: A travesty
Here’s an excellent summary of the AHCA put together by Kaiser Family Foundation. Read it and weep. It represents an abandonment of all of us, with its huge tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy and drastic cuts for everyone else. To be sure, certain communities have a lot more to lose, especially the LGBT community. That’s because the reforms brought by Obamacare made a real, substantive difference to LGBT people. Check out what Terri has to say about it!
LGBT Health Status Discrimination
Before Obamacare (the ACA), LGBT people suffered healthcare discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, pre-existing condition status and more. This was especially cruel because LGBT people are not only more likely to be uninsured, they are also disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, heart disease and other illnesses. The ACA changed all that by banning discrimination based on orientation, identity and health status.
But if the AHCA passes, we’re going back to the bad old days of segregating sick people into high-risk pools – a strategy that failed us then and will fail us again. Check out our article High-Risk Pools: Relics of Our Ugly Past for the gory details.
According to Rick Zbur, Equality California, it was thanks to the ACA that, “For the first time, millions of LGBT people obtained quality, affordable health care coverage . . . despite HIV status or other pre-existing conditions or because they could not afford coverage before.”
Zbur’s last point – about affordability – correctly identifies an on-going issue that will be worsened by the AHCA and its repeal of the ACA’s Medicaid Expansion. According to the Center for American Progress, in 2016 between 20% and 25% of LGBT people are low income and dependent on Medicaid. This means they are very vulnerable to the AHCA’s drastic Medicaid cuts.
ACA, Premium Support & Medicaid Expansion
The ACA dramatically helped the LGBT community. Not only did it ban health status and other forms of discrimination, it also provided essential tax credits and premium subsidies so that low and middle-income LGBT people could afford health insurance. In addition, the Medicaid Expansion dramatically improved healthcare access for LGBT communities in the states that accepted it.
That’s because the ACA broadened Medicaid’s eligibility categories. As explained in an August 2016 report on the Medicaid Program and LGBT Communities by the Center for American Progress, even now . . .
Many LGBT individuals are unable to access coverage [in states] without Medicaid expansion because the traditional Medicaid eligibility categories exclude most childless adults, regardless of how low their incomes are.
In fact, low-income status has historically been a major cause of higher rates of uninsurance in the LGBT community compared to the non-LGBT community. According to an August 2014 Gallup Poll article by Gary J. Gates, at that time . . .
One-quarter of LGBT adults report they did not have enough money for healthcare needs at least once in the last year, compared with 17% of non-LGBT individuals. This disparity is evident for both men and women.
So repealing the Medicaid Expansion and eliminating premium subsidies and tax credits will have a devastating impact on millions of Americans, including LGBT people. If people can’t afford to buy health insurance, they will not be able to access the health care they need. This will result in more suffering and higher mortality rates.
LGBT Health Center Funding in Danger
Another, sometimes overlooked, benefit that the ACA brought was dramatically expanded financial support for health centers that serve the LGBT community.
As reported in The Pride LA, LGBT health centers have a lot to lose:
“It is not just LGBT individuals that would be impacted by the loss of the ACA; LGBT health centers across the country are also worried about the negative consequences they could suffer from the law’s repeal.
The Los Angeles LGBT Center and the API Wellness Center in San Francisco, which both won designation in recent years as Federally Qualified Health Centers, would be particularly impacted, as many of the clients they now see were able to obtain health insurance due to the ACA.”
It cannot be overstated how cuts to funding health centers will impact communities, including rural communities, throughout the country.
Based on what we currently know about the AHCA, it cuts funding for the Prevention & Public Health Fund while appropriating $422 million for community health centers for the rest of 2017. At this time, the bill is silent on future funding.
The Bottom Line
The AHCA will make access to health care much more unaffordable for everyone (especially low-income people) with life-threatening results.
Is there any wonder why prestigious LGBT advocacy organizations like the Human Rights Campaign are strongly opposing the AHCA?
The GOP Congress is ramming this down our throats in a matter of weeks, with virtually no input from stakeholders including hospital operators, physicians or patients.
What YOU Can DO
1.) Using your zip code, contact your federal representative and strongly urge him or her to OPPOSE the AHCA with every fiber of their being!
2.) Support HEAL California’s educational campaigns by joining us on Twitter and Facebook, and with your tax-deductible donations.
If you agree that California should take the lead with guaranteed healthcare, take action! Join us on Twitter and Facebook, and
Sign our Open Letter to Governor Brown and Our Legislative Leaders!
Dear Governor Brown, Senate President Pro Tem DeLeón and Assembly Speaker Rendon:
Californians need and want guaranteed healthcare that covers everybody for everything for life!
We support the Healthy California Act introduced by Senator Ricardo Lara and co-sponsored by Senator Toni Atkins.
Help all Californians fight the heartless and cruel threats to our healthcare from Washington DC.
Let’s HEAL California with SB 562, the Healthy California Act!
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