Schakowsky Highlights Health Care Coverage for LGBTQI+ Community

Press Release

Last week, Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a Senior Chief Deputy Whip and Chair of the Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, joined health care workers and federal partners at Howard Brown Health's Broadway Youth Center to spotlight the clinic's efforts to enroll LGBTQI+ youth in affordable health insurance.

LGBTQI+ youth are uninsured at higher rates and the COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem. Expanding access to health coverage under the Affordable Care Act is crucial to ensure LGBTQI+ youth get the care they need. Howard Brown Health's Broadway Youth Center has Navigators on hand to help LGBTQI+ youth in Chicago gain access to key resources and services. During the LGBTQ Week of Action, Broadway Youth Center assisted Chicago's LGBTQI+ youth enroll in affordable health insurance.

The Navigators at Broadway Youth Center, like Navigators available across Illinois, provide individualized support and counseling to address the unique needs of each child who enters their door. Recent studies show that individuals who receive in-person assistance with insurance enrollment are roughly twice as likely to successfully enroll in a health plan compared to those who attempted to enroll without any help.

"I am so thankful for the navigators and health care workers at Howard Brown Health's Broadway Youth Center. They have assisted numerous LGBTQI+ youth in our community sign up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Everyone, no matter sexual identity, gender identity, race, or religion, deserves access to quality health care. We need more safe spaces like Broadway Youth Center," said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

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