US: Study shows health insurance disparities faced by LGBT community
A newly released study shows US LGBT adults are more likely to lack health insurance coverage than their non-LGBT counterparts.
Gallup today released the study, which was authored by a Williams Institute researcher at the UCLA School of Law.
The study found more than 17 percent of LGBT adults lack coverage as compared to only 13 percent for straight individuals.
Study author Gary Gates stated: “The findings in this study are consistent with several recent studies showing that economic disadvantages are common in an LGBT community that too often experiences stigma and discrimination.
“These disadvantages are likely an important factor in explaining why LGBT Americans report less access to health care and many negative health and well-being outcomes compared to their non-LGBT counterparts.”
The study also found that the increase in health insurance coverage created by the Affordable Care Act benefited LGBT adults in gaining coverage.
The study is based on more than 6,000 interviews with LGBT adults and more than 166,000 interviews with non-LGBT adults conducted from June 2013 to June 2014 as part of the Gallup’s Well-Being Index survey.
