by Eric Radar
Speak Out
Health care is a gay civil rights issue. With all of the heat that has been generated in the health care debate over the past several months, it is easy to lose sight of its relevance to LGBT folks. Much of the media coverage over the summer was devoted to baseless accusations that health care reform would result in rationing of care, or that elderly people would be subject to the dictates of so-called "death panels." The recent media focus on health care has dealt with the process itself, the details of which can be arcane and confusing to people.
What's not hard to understand, but doesn't get much attention in the mainstream media, is that reforming health care matters a lot to the LGBT community.
One obvious reason is because there are many LGBT folks who lack basic and affordable health care. Our community has been just as victimized by this "great recession" as any other segment of society. Unlike others, however, those in our community who are in committed relationships cannot always count on receiving the spousal benefits of our life partners when we lose our jobs.
Securing universal health care coverage in the U.S. would guarantee that all people – gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual, and straight – have access to affordable health care, no matter who they are.
One little-noticed provision of the health care reform bills now being discussed in Congress is a change in taxation of health benefits.
Right now, if an LGBT (or even straight) person receives benefits through their domestic partner, they must pay taxes on the benefits as if it were income. The result is that many people are effectively being punished for accepting a legitimate benefit. The current reform efforts include provisions to drop this penalty and allow people to receive health benefits from their domestic partner's employer without tax liabilities. Absent full marriage rights, this change in tax laws would result in more equitable treatment for LGBTs.
While the LGBT community suffers from the same illnesses and medical conditions as everyone else, there are some diseases that are particularly salient to us. HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy planning and prevention, anal and cervical cancer, and substance abuse issues are just a few of the medical conditions that affect significant numbers of people in the LGBT community.
In addition to these challenges, there are the psychological and physiological issues that transgender people must consider in the process of gender transition. Those in our community who do not have adequate health coverage cannot deal appropriately with these and other medical challenges. Expanded health care coverage would mean that more LGBT people could get the medical treatment we need and deserve.
Yes, health care does matter to us. While the House and Senate have both passed health care bills, the differences between the two versions will need to be reconciled before a final bill goes to President Obama. Nothing in either of the approved health care bills is set in stone, and there is much organized opposition to genuine health care reform.
Contact Michigan's two Senators and your U.S. Representative to let them know how important this issue is to the LGBT community: Sen. Carl Levin: http://levin.senate.gov/contact/ or Sen. Debbie Stabenow: http://stabenow.senate.gov/email.cfm. You can find your U.S. Representative by going to this Web site: http://www.house.gov.
It is important that we let our legislators know that the LGBT community cares about health care reform because we are just like everyone else – we need and deserve affordable health care. Health care is indeed a right, not a privilege, for all Americans.
