Hello friend,

Every day, COVID-19’s devastating impact continues to unfold before us. People across the country are finding themselves jobless, lying awake at night trying to find ways to make ends meet and put food on their tables.

Our country is in crisis in many ways and, on top of all of this, over 20 million Americans and almost one in five in the LGBTQ community are currently living through this pandemic without health insurance coverage.

Earlier this week, the Trump-Pence administration announced that it was refusing to reopen the Affordable Care Act’s Healthcare.gov marketplaces — leaving many in the LGBTQ community and other marginalized communities without access to healthcare and more vulnerable than ever to this virus.

That is unacceptable. Tell President Trump and his administration that they MUST reopen the ACA exchanges and help those among us who need it most. Add your voice.

Since news first broke about this pandemic, we knew the immediate risks facing many in our community. In a research brief we released last month, we noted that:

• 17% of LGBTQ people lack health coverage.
• 1 in 5 LGBTQ people have not seen a doctor when they needed to because they couldn’t afford it.
• 37% of LGBTQ adults smoke every day compared to 27% of non-LGBTQ people.
• 21% of LGBTQ people have asthma, compared to 14% of non-LGBTQ people.

These facts are startling, friend. Coupled with unexpected financial issues and unemployment we’ve already seen, our community becomes more and more vulnerable by the day. Enough is enough.

By refusing to take action, President Trump has failed us yet again. Those who are uninsured and want access to health insurance should have it. Period.

Take action by adding your name to tell President Trump to reopen the ACA exchanges.

Lives are on the line, so I hope you’ll join me and demand immediate action.

Thank you,

David Stacy Government Affairs Director Pronouns: he/him/his