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Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) health is emerging as a national health concern due to the increasing amount of evidence of health disparities experienced by the LGBT community. On the evening of November 7, 2009, by a vote of 220 to 215, the House passed the Affordable Health Care for America Act, H.R. 3962. This act includes several key LGBT provisions that would allow for an increase in the quality of health and access to health care for members of the LGBT community.

To begin with, the bill specifically designated LGBT individuals as a health disparities population. This will allow for LGBT health issues to be specifically known and addressed through LGBT specific data and research.  Also, the bill incorporated the Early Treatment for HIV Act. This act allows states, through Medicaid programs, to cover early HIV treatment instead of withholding treatment until AIDS is developed.   This will allow the quality of life for low-income people with HIV to increase and reduce the transmission of HIV.   Moreover, the bill prohibits health care workers to discriminate against members of the LGBT community. This will help protect LGBT individuals from discrimination in the health care system.  In addition, the bill provided funding for comprehensive sex education programs to focus on reducing sexually transmitted diseases instead of the former abstinence only teaching method.  This will provide LGBT students with the necessary tools to making healthy choices.  Furthermore, the bill places the unjust taxation of employer-provided domestic partner health benefits to an end through the Tax Equity for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act. This will allow more people to afford employer-provided coverage for their families.

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