June is Pride Month — a time to find joy in community and celebrate the progress we’ve made toward becoming a more inclusive Colorado.
For several years, Connect for Health Colorado has proudly supported Pride Month events across metro and rural areas, connecting with and learning how we can continue to best serve all Coloradans.
We know our vibrant, diverse communities make us stronger.
That’s why we’re committed to providing everyone with the resources and support they need to find health coverage that works best for them, and feel confident and comfortable when they seek care.
Our support of Pride Month events is important, perhaps now more than ever. People in the LGBTQIA+ community face persistent disparities in health coverage and care; are more likely to be uninsured or underinsured; and too often, experience discrimination in medical settings.
That’s why we continue to prioritize outreach to the LGBTQIA+ community and build trust in communities throughout the state — working to ensure that every person feels supported when accessing coverage and care.
FDA Finalizes Move to Recommend Individual Risk Assessment to Determine Eligibility for Blood Donations
Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized recommendations for assessing blood donor eligibility using a set of individual risk-based questions to reduce the risk of transfusion-transmitted HIV. These questions will be the same for every donor, regardless of sexual orientation, sex or gender. Blood establishments may now implement these recommendations by revising their donor history questionnaires and procedures.
This updated policy is based on the best available scientific evidence and is in line with policies in place in countries like the United Kingdom and Canada. It will potentially expand the number of people eligible to donate blood, while also maintaining the appropriate safeguards to protect the safety of the blood supply.
New DIFS Bulletin to Protect LGBTQ+ Michiganders from Discrimination in Insurance, Financial Markets
March 17, 2023
(LANSING, MICH) The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) has issued a bulletin that reaffirms the department’s commitment to protecting Michiganders from discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in the insurance or financial services industries. The bulletin ensures that the insurance and financial services industries, including health insurance, must comply with the newly-amended Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act as signed into law by Governor Gretchen Whitmer yesterday afternoon.
