From left: David Sandman – New York State Health Foundation, Mark Hannay – Metro NY Health Care For All Campaign, Kellan Baker – Center for American Progress, and Lois Uttley – Raising Women’s Voices.

 HCFANY launched a new campaign today to provide outreach and education to uninsured LGBT New Yorkers around the new health options that will soon be available via the New York State Health Benefit Exchange.  While health statistics on LGBT populations are not yet widely collected (something we are pushing to change) experts estimate that 1 in 4 LGBT people in the state are uninsured.

The outreach campaign will be headed up by HCFANY’s LGBT Task Force to help prepare people for the health insurance choices they may need to make once enrollment on the Exchange opens on October 1st.

The campaign was kicked off by a press briefing hosted by the New York State Health Foundation to bring attention to the unique needs of LGBT New Yorkers, illustrate how the Affordable Care Act is working to address them, and to lay out next steps.

Speakers included:

• Kellan Baker, Director, LGBT State Exchanges Project, Center for American Progress
• Megan Fisk, Director of Family Services, LGBT Community Services Center of New York
• Mark Hannay, Director, Metro New York Health Care For All Campaign
• Jonathan Lang, Director of Governmental Projects and Community
  Development, Empire State Pride Agenda
• Jay Laudato, Executive Director, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center
• David Sandman, Senior Vice President, New York State Health Foundation
• Lois Uttley, Director, Raising Women’s Voices for the Health Care We Need

The new coverage options afforded by the ACA will benefit LGBT communities by providing wider access to affordable health care, increased data collection (which will work to inform future policy decisions), and a new ban on discrimination based on HIV status and sex, including gender identity.

The LGBT Task Force has been working with state Exchange officials to make sure that same-sex couples have the same opportunities for affordable health coverage.  This includes allowing couples to pool their premium subsidies together to purchase family health plans on the Exchange.

Outreach will start at the June 30 PrideFest in Manhattan, and continue through the summer and fall.

Click here to read a copy of HCFANY’s press release from today.