The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law- Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the budget reconciliation bill, which includes steep cuts to Medicaid, SNAP, and federal student loan programs. Below is a summary of recent research from the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law on the potential impact of these cuts on LGBT people.
The bill reduces federal Medicaid spending and requires beneficiaries to show that they are working or in school for 80 hours per month to keep their health insurance. An earlier provision banning Medicaid from covering gender-affirming care was removed from the bill.
LGBT adults are twice as likely as non-LGBT adults to have Medicaid as their primary source of health insurance (13% vs. 7%).
Approximately 1.8 million LGBT adults rely on Medicaid as their primary source of health insurance, including:
–2 million lesbian and bisexual women
–1 million LGBT adults living with a disability
–560,000 LGBT parents with children under 18 in their households
–390,000 cisgender gay and bisexual men
–185,000 transgender adults
Cuts to Medicaid funding will have a disproportionate impact on subpopulations of LGBT people who are more likely rely on the program for their primary health insurance, including:
–26% who rely on Medicaid and are living with low incomes
–19% who are raising children18% who have disabilities
–17% of cisgender lesbian and bisexual women
–16% of people of color
–12% of transgender people
Expanded work and community engagement requirements will create further barriers to accessing Medicaid. Approximately eight in 10 LGBT adults on Medicaid either are working (46%), have worked in the past year (9%), are students (12%), or are unable to work (13%)
The bill shifts costs for food assistance to the states and tightens eligibility requirements.
–Nearly 2.1 million LGBT adults rely on SNAP, including:
—3 million LGBT adults living with a disability
—3 million lesbian and bisexual women
—900,000 LGBT adults who have children under 18 in their household
—500,000 cisgender gay and bisexual men
—250,000 transgender adults
LGBT adults are more likely than non-LGBT adults to have received SNAP benefits in the past year (15% vs. 11%).
Almost seven in 10 (69%) LGBT adults who received SNAP benefits in the past year had household incomes under $35,000, two-thirds (66%) were living with a disability, and nearly half (49%) had a child under 18 living in their household.
Over 90% of LGBT adults who received SNAP (91%) in the past year were either currently working (42%), had worked in the past year (6%), were students (8%), homemakers (9%), retired (5%), or were unable to work (21%).
The bill caps federal student loans for graduate students and parent PLUS loans for undergraduates.
More than one-third (35%) of LGBTQ adults aged 18 to 40—an estimated 2.9 million LGBTQ people—hold more than $93.2 billion in federal student loans.
About half (51%) of transgender adults, 36% of cisgender LBQ women, and 28% of cisgender GBQ men have federal student loans.
“These changes to federal programs will have a significant impact on LGBTQ people, especially vulnerable subpopulations such as lesbian and bisexual women, transgender individuals, and those living with disabilities, who are more likely to face poverty and food insecurity,” said Brad Sears, Distinguished Senior Scholar of Public Policy at the Williams Institute.
The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law is an academic research institute dedicated to conducting rigorous, independent research on sexual orientation and gender identity law and public policy.
