June is a month of vibrant celebrations, marked by rainbow flags and parades, as communities around Virginia come together to celebrate Pride Month. This month is dedicated to acknowledging and uplifting the voices and experiences of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex community. However, amid these celebrations, individuals in the LGBT community face unique challenges to health care. They experience health disparities due to barriers to care and discrimination and are at a higher risk for certain health conditions, including HIV and STIs, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, mental health and substance use disorders.
Events
Charlottesville Pride returns to Ting Pavilion this year
Jane Sathe
As regional director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Virginia, I am proud to be a part of the Biden-Harris administration's work in championing and implementing policies that improve equitable access to health care.
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As we celebrate Pride Month, President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act is delivering on his promise to lower the cost of prescription drugs for people with Medicare, including the more than 700,000 Medicare enrollees who identify as LGBT.
Prior to this administration taking office, many LGBT older adults with Medicare experienced more difficulty obtaining their prescription drugs than their non-LGBT counterparts, and they often skipped lifesaving drugs due to cost. The Inflation Reduction Act is providing relief; some people with Medicare with high drug costs will see their out-of-pocket costs capped at about $3,500 in 2024. In 2025, all Part D Medicare enrollees will see their out-of-pocket costs capped at $2,000.
Another way the president's law lowering the cost of prescription drugs is improving affordability is by capping the cost of each covered insulin product under Medicare at $35 per month. LGBT adults are at higher risk for diabetes than their non-LGBT counterparts. In Virginia, more than 36,000 Medicare beneficiaries who use insulin could have an average savings of $510 per year. Now, certain recommended adult vaccines, such as Shingles and RSV, are available at no cost for people with Part D coverage. In 2023, over 233,000 people in Virginia got a free vaccine.
We know our work is not done. This Administration will continue to make health equity a cornerstone of our policies and work tirelessly so that all communities can access the care they need.