Deadline to sign on: keep California on the path to full LGBT equality!
Dear Network members,

House Speaker Paul Ryan has said that he is planning to bring the American Health Care Act up for a vote this Thursday, March 23. Thursday is also the seventh anniversary of the Affordable Care Act being signed into law. Seven years ago, many of us were celebrating an historic expansion of health care that has extended coverage to over 20 million Americans and brought the uninsured rate to the lowest point in U.S. history. 
       
Now, the Trump Administration and Congress are trying to move us backward. Nonpartisan analysis of the AHCA estimates that 24 million people will lose coverage by 2026. This loss will hit LGBT people the hardest: low-income LGBT people on Medicaid, people living with HIV, and LGBT seniors who rely on Medicaid to pay for long-term care. 

This is the time to act, to keep up the drumbeat of opposition to Congressional attempts repeal the ACA. If you would like to plan your own event, or assistance with any of the actions below, you can email me at [email protected]. 
- Amanda
LGBT Health Awareness Week: March 27-31


Sign up to be a partner for LGBT Health Awareness Week   here. 

Support by posting sample tweets and posts, shareable images, and signing up to join the LGBT Health Awareness Week Thunderclap! 

Also, join in the following events throughout the week: 
  • Tuesday, March 28th, 11AM: National Coalition for LGBT Health webinar: ACT OUT for Equity: Understanding the Impact of Social Determinants of Health on LGBT Health Equity (register here)
  • Wednesday, March 29th, 11AM: #WellnessWed Twitter chat with Moms Rising, National Coalition for LGBT Health, National Black Justice Coalition, Men's Health Network, BiNet USA, CA LGBT HHS Network, and Family Equality Council
  • Thursday, March 30th, 11AM: National Coalition for LGBT Health webinar: ACT OUT for Access: Understanding the AHCA's Impact on LGBT Health Equity (register here) 
Sign on to support California health access and equity bills

Several bills impacting LGBT health are making their way through the state legislature. See below for information about how to sign on and show your support. 
 
Improving Outcomes and Reducing Disparities in Specialty Mental Health Services, AB 470 (Arambula). AB 470 will require the state Department of Health Care Services to create a dashboard reporting access and quality measures for public mental health, including health equity measures by sexual orientation and gender identity. To sign on to the support letter, please email [email protected] by COB Thursday, March 23. 

Prescription Drug Price Transparency, SB 17 (Hernandez). SB 17, co-sponsored by Health Access California and California Labor Federation, will increase transparency in prescription drug pricing through advance notice and public information about drug pricing. The bill will require 90 days' advance notice of price hikes for most prescription drugs and public information about the reasons for price increases and the impact of drug costs on health insurance premiums. Send your Letter of Support to Senate Health Committee. 

Protecting Consumers When Health Plans and Insurers Merge, AB 595 (Wood).  AB 595 will ensure health plan and insurer mergers are good for consumers by providing state regulators with clear authority to scrutinize how mergers impact consumers and purchasers, and the health system as a whole. Send your Letter of Support to the Assembly Health Committee by noon, March 29. 

Modernizing Discriminatory HIV Criminalization Laws, SB 239 (Wiener). SB 239 modernizes California laws criminalizing and stigmatizing people living with HIV to reflect current understanding of HIV prevention and treatment. It eliminates HIV-specific criminal laws that impose harsh and draconian penalties, including for activities that pose no risk of transmitting HIV. This bill is supported by public health officials because laws that criminalize HIV discourage people from getting tested and from seeking treatment, which impedes public health objectives of eliminating transmission of HIV. To sign on, complete a Letter of Support and send to [email protected]. 
Federal LGBTQ Health Resources



Find a list of resources on the federal health care bill and other changes happening at the national level that impact LGBTQ Californians here. 

Email [email protected] to be added to the #Fight4OurHealth campaign list and join the California fight to protect the progress we've made.
Thank you for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Amanda Wallner
Director, CA LGBT Health & Human Services Network
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