While more lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals have gained health insurance since the passage of the federal Affordable Care Act, a new report finds that they still face barriers in accessing medical care in Colorado.
Under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, the uninsured rate for LGBTQ individuals in Colorado dropped from 10 percent in 2011 to 5 percent last year, according to the report from One Colorado.
“There is still a real and perceived fear of coming out to your health care provider,” said Daniel Ramos, executive director of the LGBTQ advocacy group.
The Affordable Care Act eliminated being transgender as a pre-existing condition, but One Colorado’s study found that 34 percent of transgender patients in Colorado still report they have been denied coverage for LGBTQ-specific medical services, such as gender-affirming care or hormones.
While that number has dropped from 52 percent in 2011, advocates are concerned that a proposed rule by the Trump administration could be used by health providers to further deny care.
That proposal, which was announced last week, would no longer recognize gender identity when it comes to sex discrimination. Another rule change, which is set to go into effect next month, would allow health providers to object to providing services, such as abortions and assisted suicide, based on their moral or religious beliefs.
“Even though we’re seeing more social acceptance, we’re seeing more visibility of the LGBTQ community, we’re also seeing some major pushback, some real attempts to roll back protections of LGBTQ Coloradans and LGBTQ Americans,” Ramos said.
One Colorado surveyed more than 2,500 LGBTQ Coloradans in 2018 for its report. About 4.6 percent of Colorado’s population identifies as LGBT, according to the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles School of Law.
One surprising finding of the report was the prevalence of conversion therapy in Colorado, Ramos said.
The report found that almost one in five LGBTQ Coloradans reported that they have experienced someone trying to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. On Friday, Gov. Jared Polis signed a law banning mental health professionals from trying to change a minor’s sexual orientation.