New Campaign Inspires LGBT Americans to Take Advantage of Affordable Care Act

While technical problems and Republican calls for repeal have dominated recent news about the Affordable Care Act, there remains a campaign dedicated to addressing LGBT concerns about the health care reform law.

Out2Enroll, an initiative aimed at educating LGBT Americans about new coverage options made available by the ACA, launched in October with a website answering questions that may not be dealt with elsewhere, such as "Why should getting covered matter to the LGBT community?" "What if I'm transgender?" and "Can I apply for financial assistance with my same-sex spouse?"

In addition to the website, Out2Enroll is holding public events to explain the ACA. There were two events so far this month, in Denver and Houston, and another is set for Thursday at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

The Congressional Budget Office expects at least 7 million Americans to sign up for coverage under the ACA by March 31, and the campaign aims to be a reliable resource for LGBT Americans and may motivate more people to take advantage of the new options.

"As enrollment progresses through March 2014, Out2Enroll will continue its work at the state level to link LGBT communities with their new coverage options through partnerships with organizations such as Enroll America, Community Catalyst, the Service Employees International Union, consumer health advocates, and LGBT equality organizations. Additional events will be held in the spring of 2014 in additional cities across the country," says a press release on the Out2Enroll website. Out2Enroll is a project of the Center for American Progress, the Federal Agencies Project, and the Sellers Dorsey Foundation.

JEFFREY HARTINGER is a writer living in New York City. Visit his website or follow him @BuffaloGuyInNYC