What’s New in Advocacy at Howard Brown?
We’ve been doing a lot of work to protect the federal 340B program, which allows safety net providers to provide discounted medication to uninsured patients and generates savings that help them provide free or discounted medical care and other essential services to community members. Want to learn more about attacks on 340B and how you can support vital legislation to protect community health centers? Read our 340B Advocacy Report!
Advancing LGBTQ+ Health Policy
ERA’s advocacy team focuses on initiatives that improve the health and lives of people within the LGBTQ+ community who need it most. We work to advance patient access to affirming health care and address social determinants of health.
We advocate for progressive public policy, participate in grassroots efforts, and lead community education initiatives that support our four primary focus areas:
Access to Healthcare
All people deserve the right to affordable and affirming healthcare. For LGBTQ+ individuals, finding such healthcare can be an even bigger challenge. Our advocacy team is working with partner organizations to ensure that both our patients and the greater LGBTQ+ community in Chicago and beyond have the healthcare they need to live their best lives.
Civic Representation
We work with local state and national representatives to ensure that LGBTQ+ people’s experiences are equally represented in the lawmaking process. Howard Brown Health participates in Transgender Lobby Day, Community Health Centers Lobby Day through the National Association for Community Health Centers (NACHC), and advances local LGBTQ+ initiatives that improve the health and well-being of our community.
Patient Advocacy
Navigating insurance and healthcare systems can be a daunting task, especially for LGBTQ+ individuals. Howard Brown Health is dedicated to standing up with our patients when equal treatment becomes a barrier to one’s health. We work with our insurance navigators and partners to help identify patient concerns and the trends that allow for systemic discrimination in the healthcare industry.
Policy Endorsements
We partner with local and national organizations to both create and impact law and policy that help improve the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Our team collaborates with partners, offering insight into how policies may impact our patients and the broader LGBTQ+ community. We continue to work with our partner advocacy and legal organizations to support LGBTQ+ affirming policies and push back against policies that put our community and their well-being at risk.