Gay men uninsured 2:1 compared with straight men.

The ratio of uninsured gay individuals is 2:1 compared to heterosexuals. Even with the rising number of domestic partnership benefits, most homosexuals are excluded from the same benefits afforded to married heterosexual couples. Additionally, even with domestic partnership benefits, some gay men still refuse to come out at work due to the threat of homophobia. Complicating matters further is the issue of insurance carriers delaying benefits or refusing to take on individuals with preexisting conditions such as HIV or cancer.

The dilemma of health care and gay men is complex and disheartening for all these reasons and more. The American Cancer Society recently published data showing that, since gay men are less likely to have health insurance and seek out medical attention for reasons concerning homophobia, they are more likely to suffer from lung cancer, especially since gay men tent to smoke more (41 percent) than the general population. Incidentally, smoking is known to accelerate the progression of HIV disease.  http://www.planetout.com/fitness/article.html?coll=health_fitness&sernum=5388&navpath=/channels/health/