PDF Copy of the Letter

Dear Governor Youngkin,

Equality Federation champions critical non-partisan issues that affect how Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and the broader spectrum of people (LGBTQ+) experience the world. Our member organization in the Commonwealth, Equality Virginia, advocates and organizes across the state to build a future where all LGBTQ+ Virginians thrive – including advocating for equitable access to healthcare for all Virginians.

We are writing to express our strong support for HB 2769, which prohibits discrimination based on PrEP use, blindness or partial blindness, mental or physical impairments, and domestic violence victim status in the issuance and pricing of life, accident, and sickness insurance. On behalf of Equality Federation and Equality Virginia, we urge you to sign HB 2769, we believe that this legislation is a crucial step towards ensuring that all Virginians have access to the healthcare they need, regardless of their health status. We commend the General Assembly for passing this important bill and urge you to sign it into law.

HB 2769 ensures local protections that address a critical gap in our current state insurance laws by prohibiting discrimination based on an individual’s use of PrEP, a highly effective medication that prevents HIV transmission. This provision is essential to protecting the health of Virginians, particularly those in the LGBTQ+ community who are disproportionately affected by HIV. By ensuring that individuals are not denied or charged higher premiums for life and health insurance simply because they are taking PrEP, this bill will encourage more people to access this vital preventative medication.

Furthermore, HB 2769 extends these protections to Virginians with blindness or partial blindness, mental or physical impairments, and those of us who have experienced domestic violence. In 2019, more than 22,00 adult Virginians and nearly 5,300 Virginian children received domestic violence advocacy services. These provisions in HB 2769 recognize the unique challenges some Virginians face in accessing healthcare and ensure that they are not unfairly discriminated against in the insurance market.

HB 2769 will also ensure that the over 24,000 people living with HIV in Virginia will not face insurance coverage discrimination. Discrimination in insurance coverage can have devastating consequences for so many Virginians and our families. It can lead to delayed or forgone care, poorer health outcomes, and financial hardship. HB 2769 will help to break down these barriers and ensure that all Virginians have the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives, regardless of our HIV status and other chronic health conditions.

On behalf of the LGBTQ+ community that Equality Federation and Equality Virginia serves, we thank you for your commitment to pursuing policies that provide common-sense, non-partisan solutions that will improve the health and well-being of countless Virginians. We urge you to sign HB 2769 into law and continue to demonstrate your commitment to ensuring that all Virginians have access to the healthcare they need and deserve.

Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you would like to discuss further or have any questions.

Thank you,

Narissa Rahaman
Executive Director
Equality Virginia

Fran Hutchins
Executive Director
Equality Federation