In addition, no matter who is paying for one’s care, it is important to remember that the standards set forth for Medicare and Medicaid funded providers, and the oversight thereof, are critical to everyone since so many providers participate in Medicare and/or Medicaid. This is especially important to the LGBT community because CMS (the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) and its parent agency DHHS enforce the laws relating to, inter alia, nursing home resident dignity, quality of care, quality of life, etc… and advise providers around the country on these issues. There has been much progress under the Obama Administration to ensure sensitivity to the needs and concerns of LGBT individuals in long term care, including a major national initiative: [URL REMOVED]