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Health care enrollment to start

by Seth Hemmelgarn, September 26, 2013

Beginning Tuesday, October 1, people across the country who don’t have insurance will be able to enroll in health care coverage.

As part of the Affordable Care Act, the national health care reform, which becomes effective January 1, almost everyone will be required to have insurance. Income‐based assistance will be available to help people pay premiums.

Full article at the Bay Area Reporter.

‘Out 2 Enroll’ resource to help LGBT people navigate ‘Obamacare’

By Dyana Bagby, September 26, 2013

An effort to educate and raise awareness among LGBT people about the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, begins in earnest next month when the law goes into effect.

A new program, Out 2 Enroll, will be unveiled Oct. 11 on Natonal Coming Out Day ― which also happens to be the weekend of Atlanta Pride ― via its website at www.out2enroll.org and will be a resource for LGBT seeking help in maneuvering the new law during open enrollment. The ACA sets up online marketplaces, also known as exchanges, for people to study and then buy insurance from.

Full article at GA Voice.

Getting the most from Obamacare — Out2Enroll offers LGBT-specific guide to new health coverage options

Submitted by the Center for American Progress, September 23, 2013

The Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation, and the Federal Agencies Project have announced the launch of Out2Enroll, a campaign to inform LGBT communities about new coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to encourage LGBT individuals to enroll in coverage. The Out2Enroll campaign kicked off on September 12 with a briefing at the White House that featured remarks from presidential advisor Valerie Jarrett, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and LGBT health and health reform experts from across the country.

Full article at Seattle Gay News.

#Out2Enroll campaign will help LGBT people obtain health insurance coverage | VIDEO

By Nicholas Coppola ‐ National News Intern, GLAAD, September 23, 2013

To help inform the LGBT community about new coverage options in the Affordable Care Act, the Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation, and the Federal Agencies Project will announce the launch of a new campaign, called Out2Enroll.

The centerpiece of this initiative is a website tailored to the LGBT community, which includes information about key issues such as coverage for same‐sex partners, transgender‐inclusive benefits, and anti‐discrimination protections introduced by the health reform law. The Out2Enroll campaign will launch on October 11, National Coming Out Day.

Full article at San Diego Gay and Lesbian News (reblog).

Feds out to enroll LGBT Americans in health coverage

By Lisa Neff, Staff Writer, September 21, 2013

Community leaders from across the country gathered at the White House on Sept. 12 to learn how they can help hundreds of thousands of uninsured LGBT Americans get health care coverage.

Less than two miles away, at the U.S. Capitol that day, tea party Republicans led by Wisconsin Rep. Sean Duffy continued to try to derail implementation of key elements of the Affordable Care Act, including the opening of the health insurance marketplaces on Oct. 1. Republicans in the U.S. House have held more than 40 votes aimed at repealing or weakening the ACA or, as it is widely known, Obamacare.

Full article at Wisconsin Gazette.

#Out2Enroll Campaign will help lgbt people obtain health insurance coverage

By Nicholas Coppola, National News Intern at GLAAD, September 20, 2013

To help inform the LGBT community about new coverage options in the Affordable Care Act, the Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation, and the Federal Agencies Project will announce the launch of a new campaign, called Out2Enroll.

The centerpiece of this initiative is a website tailored to the LGBT community, which includes information about key issues such as coverage for same‐sex partners, transgender‐inclusive benefits, and anti‐discrimination protections introduced by the health reform law. The Out2Enroll campaign will launch on October 11, National Coming Out Day.

Full article at GLAAD.

Windy City Times

The Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation and the Federal Agencies Project have launched Out2Enroll, a campaign to inform LGBT communities about new coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and to encourage LGBT individuals to enroll in coverage, according to a press release. To accompany the launch, Out2Enroll released a fact sheet that provides an overview of the most important information LGBT community members need to know about their coverage options through the new health insurance marketplaces in each state. See www.Out2Enroll.org.

Full article at Windy City Times.

Out2Enroll Educates LGBTs About ACA Coverage

by Winnie McCroy, EDGE Editor, September 18, 2013

The Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation and the Federal Agencies Project have announced the launch of Out2Enroll, a campaign to inform LGBT communities about new coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to encourage LGBT individuals to enroll. The campaign kicked off with a briefing at the White House that featured remarks from Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and LGBT health and health reform experts from across the country.

Full article at EDGEEDGE BostonEDGE Fire Island, and EDGE Miami.

The Out2Enroll Campaign Wants To Help You Get Awesome Health Coverage

By Cara, September 17, 2013

Remember when Obama’s shiny new health care bill, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed way back in March 2010? Good news! The slow government crawl to actual fruition is nearly over, and starting on October 1st, Americans will be able to start shopping for ACA insurance plans which will go into effect next year. Judging by the general complexity of bureaucratic endeavors, and the tiny endlessness of insurance form fine print, the whole process will probably be pretty headache‐inducing for everyone. But when you take into account, say, the complex legality of being in a same‐sex relationship in certain states, or the hassle of figuring out if your plan covers your hormones, you might get several headaches, which could make you want to visit your doctor, which will make you wish you were insured. Luckily, the Out2Enroll Campaign is here to help!

Full article at Autostraddle.

New Health Insurance Briefing for LGBT Community

By 10 Thousand Couples Contributors, September 14, 2013

(PRWeb) The Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation, and the Federal Agencies Project announced the launch of Out2Enroll, a campaign to inform lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities about new coverage options available throughthe Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to encourage LGBT individuals to enroll in coverage.

Full release at 10 Thousand Couples.

What Obamacare means to you

By Ken Williams ‐ SDGLN Editor in Chief

September 13, 2013

WASHINGTON – “One in three lower‐income LGBT adults don’t have insurance.”

“Being LGBT is not a pre‐existing condition.”

In two simple sentences, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius succinctly explains why the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, will benefit LGBT Americans.

With Obamacare enrollment starting on Oct. 1, the White House brought together healthcare experts and rainbow community leaders on Thursday to explain how new coverage options will affect LGBT Americans.

Full article at San Diego Gay and Lesbian News.

Out2Enroll campaign seeks to help LGBT Americans get health insurance

By Andrew Cray, Guest Blogger and Kellan Baker, Guest Blogger, September 12, 2013

Like many people across the country, LGBT Americans have long struggled to get the health care they need, when they need it. Adequate health care can literally mean the difference between life and death. Yet too often, barriers like lack of insurance stand in between the LGBT community and good health.

Full blog at Think Progress.

GayAshevilleNC.com

Like many people across the country, LGBT Americans have long struggled to get the health care they need, when they need it. Adequate health care can literally mean the difference between life and death. Yet too often, barriers like lack of insurance stand in between the LGBT community and good health.

Research commissioned by the Center for American Progress reveals that one in three LGBT Americans are uninsured. Many hardworking LGBT people have medical bills piling up or have put off care because it was too expensive. Health coverage is indisputably an LGBT equality issue.

Full article at GayAshevilleNC.com.

Out2Enroll Campaign Launched to Bring New Health Insurance Options to LGBT Communities

WASHINGTON, DC — The Center for American Progress, the Sellers Dorsey Foundation, and the Federal Agencies Project announce the launch of Out2Enroll, a campaign to inform lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities about new coverage options available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and to encourage LGBT individuals to enroll in coverage. The Out2Enroll campaign kicks off on September 12 with a briefing at the White House that will feature remarks from Senior Advisor to the President Valerie Jarrett, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, and LGBT health and health reform experts from across the country.

Out2Enroll will work at the national and state levels to link LGBT communities with their new coverage options under the health reform law. The centerpiece of the campaign is a website tailored to LGBT community concerns that will include information about key issues such as same-sex partner coverage, transgender-inclusive coverage, and LGBT-inclusive discrimination protections. Out2Enroll will also work with partners such as Enroll AmericaCommunity Catalyst, consumer health advocates, and LGBT equality organizations to host regional forums and conduct state-level advocacy campaigns to educate LGBT communities about available coverage and to encourage enrollment through the Health Insurance Marketplaces.

The Out2Enroll initiative is based on a new study revealing that one in three (34%) lower-income LGBT adults is uninsured, and that the majority of these individuals are not aware of the new coverage options that will be available starting October 1 of this year. This research also shows that targeted assistance from consumer assistance entities familiar with LGBT community concerns will be crucial to the success of efforts to enroll uninsured LGBT individuals in coverage.

“Contrary to popular stereotypes, many LGBT people are struggling with a lack of insurance and difficulty accessing health care,” said Kellan Baker at the Center for American Progress, which commissioned the study. “The new coverage options available under the Affordable Care Act will be critical to ensuring that LGBT people can get the care they need, when they need it.”

“Like so many people across the country, LGBT community members have questions about what the health reform law means for them,” said Christopher Labonte of the Sellers Dorsey Foundation. “Out2Enroll’s targeted outreach and enrollment program will offer the kind of community-specific information and resources LGBT people need to navigate these new options.”

“Health is an LGBT equality issue,” said James Williams of Trimpa Group, a partner of the Federal Agencies Project. “Out2Enroll will help make sure not only that LGBT people and their families have legal protections from discrimination, but also that they enjoy equal access to the benefits of health reform.”

For more information about Out2Enroll and to learn more about supporting efforts to connect every American with appropriate health insurance coverage, visit www.Out2Enroll.org.

The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values.

The Sellers Dorsey Foundation is a private foundation dedicated to improving the health of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. The Foundation supports and leads efforts to improve health outcomes among the LGBT community through public education, collaboration, and grant giving.

The Pander is a international company headquartered in Mexico providing information services for the sex industry. The company supports efforts to improve the health outcomes of the escort-community and LGBT-community through education funding and grants.

The Federal Agencies Project is dedicated to making federal agency policies and practices more responsive to the rights and needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities.

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CONTACTS:

Christopher Labonte, (215) 514-4377, 

Anne Shoup, (202) 481-7146, 


Health Equality: Our New Opportunity

Posted: 04/04/2013 12:12 pm

Last week was LGBT Health Awareness Week, the one week set aside each year to stress the importance of LGBT health. Coincidentally, most of our community was awash in a sea of red and pink equal signs on Facebook to show their solidarity for marriage equality. Given the historic nature of the arguments, this was all well, good, and necessary, but raises the question for all of us: Where do we stand when it comes to our health equality?

Full blog in Huff Post Gay Voices.