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Congresswoman Baldwin Introduces Health Care Bill for LGBT Americans by Gizem Unsalan June 24, 2009 |
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photo by tammybaldwin.house.gov
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Seeking to provide comprehensive health care for the gay community, Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin introduced the Ending Health Disparities for LGBT Americans Act, a bill designed to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Americans no longer face discrimination when it comes to health care.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Baldwin said, “Our current health care system fails LGBT Americans on many levels. Although we have ample anecdotal evidence of these disparities, the federal government lacks even the most basic data on sexual orientation and gender identity and health. This bill invests in research and takes critical steps towards improving the health of LGBT Americans and their families."
If passed, the bill would establish nondiscrimination policies for all federal health programs. It would also fund training for health care providers, extend Medicare benefits to domestic partners, create an office of LGBT Health within the Department of Health and Human Services, and fund local health centers that specialize in LGBT services.
So far, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Mike Honda and Representatives Barbara Lee, Henry Waxman, and Nydia Velazquez have joined Baldwin in sponsoring the bill.
The legislation has also earned the support of the Human Rights Campaign; National Coalition for LGBT Health; The AIDS Institute; Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) National; National Center for Transgender Equality; AIDS Action; American Psychological Association; Mautner Project: The National Lesbian Health Organization; and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
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