A Critique of Repealing the Affordable Care Act: Implications for Queer People of Color

Abstract

AbstractPublic health has expanded health disparities research to include the importance of mental health. Minority stress theory provides a framework for contextualizing these disparities. Queer people of color (QPOC), who are studied far less often than other marginalized groups, face unique distal and proximal stressors as a consequence of their social location. Historically, the healthcare system has served as a conduit for these stressors, with bias and discrimination occurring at interpersonal and structural levels. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) served to lessen the stressful impact of the healthcare system, specifically by improving access to mental health services for people of color and queer people. The authors utilize a minority stress framework to present information about the separate mental health access gains for people of color and LGBT people and hypothesize about how these gains affect QPOC. This study then uses these gains to frame a discussion about the positive impact of the ACA and discusses the disproportionate impact that repeal of such policy gains could have on the well‐being of QPOC.