The Council on Aging of Buncombe County and Western North Carolina Medical Society are joining up to hold a LGBT Health Fair in Asheville, aimed at helping the community get proper health coverage.
In conjunction with the open enrollment period of the Health Insurance Marketplace (HIM), the event will take place on Tuesdays, November 17 from 3 – 7 p.m. at First Congregational United Church of Christ, located at 20 Oak Street. The event is free of charge and will provide knowledge tailored to the LGBT community.
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As they point out on their website for the event:
According to the Kaiser Foundation, LGBT individuals often face challenges and barriers to accessing needed health services and, as a result, can experience worse health outcomes. These challenges can include stigma, discrimination, violence, and rejection by families and communities, as well as other barriers, such as inequality in the workplace and health insurance sectors, the provision of substandard care, and outright denial of care because of an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
In addition to tables with information and resources available from dozens of organizations, there will also be free flu shots provided by Walgreens, free HIV/HCV testing from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m., a healthcare budgeting class, a smoking cessation information session and more.
For more information go to their Facebook event page.