This morning Family Equality Council and the Center for American Progress published a guide on how couples and parents who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender, or LGBT, can access health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, or ACA. The Affordable Care Act and LGBT Families: Everything You Need to Know is a comprehensive guide that will introduce families to the intricacies of enrollment, tax credits, shared responsibility payments, Health Insurance Marketplaces, and Navigators.
“While the Affordable Care Act will make health insurance affordable for millions more Americans, including families with parents who are LGBT,” said Heron Greenesmith, Legislative Counsel for Family Equality Council, “LGBT families will face specific obstacles to accessing coverage because of the patchwork of federal and state laws governing health insurance.” Currently, the ACA prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and many states will be offering family plans that include same-sex parents and their children. But while the Defense of Marriage Act remains federal law, families with same-sex parents will have to apply for tax credits separately instead of as a family.
“We hope this guide will serve as a basic intro to affordable health care,” said Greenesmith. Family Equality Council and the Center for American Progress have been working closely to ensure the inclusive implementation of the Affordable Care Act and will continue to advocate for and educate the LGBT community as the ACA comes into full implementation in January, 2014.