The purpose of this week is to maximize outreach, engagement,  and enrollment of LGBTQ communities ahead of the December 15th enrollment deadline. Our partners at Out2Enroll and organizations across the country will use this week to promote the importance of LGBTQ community engagement and enrollment, educate LGBTQ consumers about their rights under the Affordable Care Act, and help ensure that LGBTQ people are able to access the health coverage and care they need.

 

You can help us spread the word by liking and sharing our posts from Facebook and Twitter all week long. Recent polling data shows that almost 4 out of 5 people who are uninsured or buy their own insurance don’t know the deadline, think it’s a different day, or refused to answer. The number who simply said they didn’t know the deadline increased from 53 percent last October to 61 percent this month.

Despite ongoing political attacks to the ACA, it has reduced the uninsured rate for LGBTQ individuals earning less than $45,000 a year by more than 35%.  It has also provided greater access to transition-related services and has strong non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity that provide a level of security to all of us, whether we purchase insurance through the ACA or from another source.

Health insurance is better than ever for transgender people who can expect more and demand more.” Too few trans people have had real health insurance options because of discriminatory exclusions. But the ACA’s protections still apply to 2019 health insurance plans, so marketplace plans should NOT and largely do NOT have transgender exclusions. Trans consumers should enroll and expect that transition-related health care will be covered. Trans people may still have to fight with their health insurance company by filing an appeal, but if they’ve been holding out, this is the year to enroll.

Health plans and prices change every year—and the amount of financial help you can get may change too. Visit HealthCare.gov today! Affordability remains the biggest focus and challenge for returning consumers and the uninsured alike. Many simply won’t enroll if coverage costs too much. Even if you’ve looked before, it’s time to check out your options and find the plan that’s right for you.

HealthCare.gov offers free help and personal assistance. And even though the number of federally sponsored insurance navigators has been dramatically reduced, you can find free in-person help using the Out2Enroll locator tool: out2enroll.org/enrollment-help.

For people living with HIV, we have some Georgia-specific information that can be found on our website here:  https://georgiaequality.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/ACA-PLWHIV-2018.pdf