Issue Briefs | Mar 11, 2024

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data: New and Updated Information on Federal Guidance and Medicaid Data Collection Practices

Emily Zylla and Elizabeth Lukanen, SHADAC

Medicaid is an important source of coverage for LGBTQI+ populations, but few states collect data that can be used to understand and improve health for these individuals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services recently added new questions on the topic of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) to the application used by HealthCare.gov and released guidance for states who want to add the same questions to their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program applications. This brief summarizes the guidance and presents several considerations for states as they look to improve their collection of SOGI data, documents how this information is currently collected in Medicaid, and spotlights Oregon’s ongoing efforts to improve the collection of SOGI data.