Group of Senators Urges HHS to Restore LGBT Questions on Government Survey

• Without data, LGBT elders and others could be left in the cold

• Data helps determine funding for home-delivered meals, transportation, home care, and caregiver support

19 U.S. Senators sent a letter Thursday calling on HHS Secretary Tom Price to restore survey questions that assess whether key programs meet the needs of older Americans and people with disabilities within the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community.

Among the group are U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Committee Chairman Susan Collins (R-ME) and Ranking Member Bob Casey (D-PA), along with Democratic Senators Patty Murray, Tammy Baldwin, Bernie Sanders, Ed Markey, Sheldon Whitehouse, Kirsten Gillibrand, Elizabeth Warren, and Dianne Feinstein.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services proposal for the most recent National Survey of Older Americans Act Participants and the Centers for Independent Living Annual Program Performance Report deleted questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. The data collected by these questions help determine funding priorities for HHS and help guide local programs in their own decision making. 

“Sexual orientation and gender identity questions on these surveys were designed to ensure that vital services were reaching vulnerable LGBT Americans,” the senators wrote. “By rolling back data collection, it is possible that the needs of millions of Americans will go unmet. 

The Older Americans Act provides funding for services such as home-delivered meals, transportation, home care, and caregiver support in addition to programs designed to serve people with disabilities including skills training and counseling. The Centers for Independent Living provide resources to ensure that people with disabilities can live independently in their homes and communities.

Read the full letter below:

 

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