Published Date: February 12, 2012

This journal article uses data from the 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007 California Health Interview Surveys (CHIS) to examine health disparities and rates of insurance among LGB couples before and after the implementation of AB205 and AB2208, two pieces of legislation that require private employers to equally offer insurance benefits to employees regardless of relationship type. The authors find that these reforms had no measurable effect on enrollment rates among gay men, but did have an effect on lesbian couples.  “Lesbians were significantly more likely to have any health insurance coverage after the law compared to heterosexual women…suggesting that such policies may reduce sexual orientation-based insurance disparities among women,” according to the authors. ​



Publication Authors:
  • Thomas C. Buchmueller
  • Christopher S. Carpenter