Although a significant number of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults have gained health insurance since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medicaid in 31 states and insurance marketplaces, gaps in care still exist, according to a study published in Health Affairs.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Urban Institute and funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The researchers examined data from the Health Reform Monitoring Survey, comparing the results of LGB adults between June 2013 and September 2013 with the results of those who took the survey between December 2014 and March 2015. Roughly 400 HRMS respondents were included each quarter.
Ultimately, the researchers found the following:
1. The percentage of LGB adults who have health insurance increased from 78.2 percent to 88.9 percent.
2. The percentage of LGB people reporting they have a usual source of healthcare also increased, from 73.2 percent to 78.4 percent.
3. Despite the gains in insurance coverage, the percentage of LGB Americans who report difficulties with access to and affordability of care is still higher than non-LGB adults (24.4 percent versus 16.1 percent).
4. Nearly half (42.6 percent) of LGB adults reported an unmet need for care because of cost, compared to 32.4 percent of non-LGB people.
5. Lesbian or bisexual women were more likely than gay or bisexual men to report difficulty accessing and affording care during the 2014 to 2015 span of time, despite reporting similar rates and sources of insurance coverage and care.
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