Mazzoni Center is stepping up amidst Trump’s plans for healthcare reform

Donald Trump’s election means an uncertain and possibly scary future for those of us who aren’t straight, White, American-born males. Mazzoni Center is making sure Philadelphia’s LGBTQ community knows it has a safe haven within its walls.

The community-based health hub made a statement in an email to its patients last Thursday that it would continue to see anyone despite their insurance status, as it has since its primary care center opened in 2004.

The announcement comes amidst Trump’s claims that he would seek to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

“In the wake of the election and so much talk about repealing the ACA, we knew that staff, patients, and others in the community would be concerned and we wanted to reassure people of our commitment to providing care, regardless of what changes may come to the insurance marketplace,” Senior Communications Manager Elizabeth Flynn wrote in an email.

LGBTQ people are less likely to have access to health insurance than their straight, cis peers, but in Flynn’s own words, the ACA has been a boon for LGBTQ folks by:

• Expanding access to health insurance for many individuals who did not previously have it
• Removing the ban on pre-existing conditions, including HIV
• Implementing nondiscrimination protections that ensure access to treatment for everyone regardless of gender identity