Game-Changing Policy Initiatives from HHS

We wanted to share with GLMA supporters two important policy announcements frm the US Department of Health & Human Services:

On October 15, 2015, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a definitive report stating that “conversion therapy—efforts to change an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression—is a practice that is not supported by credible evidence.” The report, titled Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth follows a White House statement issued earlier this year supporting an end to conversion therapy for minors.

Last week, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare and the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology issued a final rule on Meaningful Use Stage 3 requiring vendors to develop electronic health record systems that have the ability to record information on sexual orientation and gender identity. GLMA worked in coalition with the Center for American Progress and the Fenway Institute who led the advocacy efforts for specific inclusion in EHRs as a means to improve data collection on LGBT health.

GLMA applauds the Administration and the Department of Health & Human Resources for these most recent game-changing policy initiatives to improve the health and well-being of LGBT Americans.