TCDailyPlanet.net – By Andy Birkey , Minnesota Monitor
Researchers, physicians and community leaders met at the University of Minnesota earlier this week to discuss issues of public health and health care access in Minnesota’s LGBT community. The event, held in conjunction with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Health Awareness Week, underscored a number of troubling disparities.
“In 2004, the Minnesota Health Access Survey indicated that 22 percent of LGBT Minnesotans do not have health insurance compared with 7 percent of the total Minnesota population,” said Gary Schiff, openly gay Minneapolis City Council member. “The fear of discrimination and stigma cause many LGBT Minnesotans to postpone or decline seeking medical care and once in care often withhold critical personal information from providers.”