Disparities in Health Insurance Coverage, Access, and Outcomes for Individuals in Same-Sex Versus Different-Sex Relationships, 2000–2007

OBJECTIVES: We used data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System to compare health insurance coverage, access to care, and women's cancer screenings for individuals in same-sex versus different-sex relationships. METHODS: We estimated logistic regression models by using data on 5265 individuals in same-sex relationships and 802,659 individuals in different-sex relationships. RESULTS: Compared with women in different-sex relationships, women in same-sex relationships were significantly less likely to have health insurance coverage, were less likely to have had a checkup within the past year, were more likely to report unmet medical needs, and were less likely to have had a recent mammogram or Pap test. Compared with men in different-sex relationships, men in same-sex relationships were significantly less likely to have health insurance coverage and were more likely to report unmet medical needs, although they were more likely to have had a checkup in the past year. CONCLUSIONS: In the largest and most recent nationally representative sample, we found important differences in health insurance coverage and access to care between individuals in same-sex relationships and those in different-sex relationships for both men and women.