Despite Having Similar Or Higher Rates Of Health Insurance Coverage, LGBT Californians More Likely To Delay Care
“Unfortunately we don’t have the data to answer [why] directly,” said Susan Babey, one of the authors of the report. “But other research suggests that one possibility is that lesbian, gay and bisexual adults have experienced discrimination or not feeling welcome in health care settings in the past and so are avoiding repeating those kinds of experiences by delaying care even if they need to see a medical provider.”
The California Health Report:
Lesbians, Gay Men And Bisexuals Are Delaying Health Care, Study Finds
Lesbians, gay men and bisexual adults in California are more likely than straight people to delay seeking medical care, even though they have the same or even higher rates of health insurance coverage, according to a new study. Researchers at UCLA examined survey data from about 83,000 California adults that included questions on a variety of health indicators, including access to health care and insurance, health problems, health behaviors and sexual orientation. They found that gay and bisexual men were more likely than straight men to have health insurance, while lesbian and bisexual women had similar rates of health insurance coverage compared to straight women. (Boyd-Barrett, 10/19)