Ending LGBT Health Disparities Act

Bill: 111-hr-3001
Sponsor: Rep. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI-2]
Introduced: 2009-06-23 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Aging
Child care and development
Child health
Crime victims
Crimes against women
Criminal investigation, prosecution, interrogation
Department of Health and Human Services
Disability and health-based discrimination
Disability and paralysis
Domestic violence and child abuse
Employee benefits and pensions
Executive agency funding and structure
Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
HIV/AIDS
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health information and medical records
Health personnel
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Law enforcement administration and funding
Marriage and family status
Medicaid
Medical research
Medicare
Mental health
Military medicine
Minority health
Prescription drugs
Research administration and funding
Right of privacy
Self-employed
Sex offenses
Sex, gender, sexual orientation discrimination
Sexually transmitted diseases
Social security and elderly assistance
Teenage pregnancy
Veterans' medical care
Violent crime

Summary:
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: 
Ending LGBT Health Disparities Act - Sets forth provisions concerning the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend the tax exclusion for employer-provided health care benefits to eligible beneficiaries of the employee and the qualifying children of such beneficiaries.
 
Limits preexisting condition exclusions.
 
Requires parity in the rights and obligations of a federal employee (defined to exclude members of the uniformed services) with a domestic partner and a married employee and the spouse.
 
 Expands the definition of &quot;spouse&quot; and &quot;married&quot; for purposes of Medicare.
 
Phases out the 24-month waiting period for eligibility for hospital insurance benefits under Medicare. 
 
Prohibits discrimination: (1) on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity under Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP, formerly known as SCHIP), Medicare, the Violence Against Women Act of 1994, and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program; and (2) on the basis of sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation by the Secretary of Defense against a former member of uniformed services entitled to medical care, and by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support demonstration projects to improve the health and health care of sexual or gender minorities.
 
Establishes within the Office of Minority Health an Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health to be headed by a Deputy Assistant Secretary for LGBT Health. 
 
Requires the HHS Secretary, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary, to establish the Center for Cultural Competence in Health Care.
 
Provides for expanded research concerning sexual and gender minority individuals and the collection of sexual or gender minority data in health programs and surveys. 
 
Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act to provide benefits to surviving same-sex parents.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2009-08-03
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
action_date: 2009-07-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties.
action_date: 2009-06-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-06-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2009-06-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Foreign Affairs
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Intelligence (Permanent)
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Transportation and Infrastructure
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Veterans' Affairs
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Education and Labor
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Administration
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Ways and Means
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Judiciary
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Armed Services
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, the Judiciary, Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, House Administration, Education and Labor, Veterans' Affairs, Transportation and Infrastructure, Intelligence (Permanent Select), and Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Referred to House Energy and Commerce
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2009-06-23
text: Introduced in House