Members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in the United States are less likely to have health insurance compared to their non-LGBT counterparts, according to a Gallup survey.

While the Affordable Care Act -- also known as Obamacare -- aimed to provide Americans with health insurance and has significantly decreased the number of uninsured individuals in recent months, LGBTs are still more likely to be uninsured than non-LGBTs.

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After open enrollments for Obamacare closed in the second quarter of 2014, 17.6 percent of LGBT respondents claimed they were uninsured compared to 13.2 percent of non-LGBTs.

According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, the insurance gap may probably be attributed to economic standing.

The survey found that 25 percent of adult LGBTs could not afford medicines or access healthcare in the past year, 8 percent higher than adult non-LGBTs who said they could not afford the same.

Study author and LGBT demographic expert Gary Gates said the findings seemed to indicate that despite the country's more liberalized gender policies, economic disadvantages are still prevalent among the LGBT community, which is often subjected to discrimination.

A separate Gallup poll cited by European gay news service Pink News on Monday found that American LGBTs are 10 percent less likely to be financially successful than straight individuals.

Meanwhile, U.S. Health and Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Obamacare guidelines have been streamlined to lessen inequality for LGBT patients, Fierce Health Payer reported.

For instance, Medicaid and Medicare-affiliated institutions have revised visitation regulations to include same-sex partners. Additionally, insurers are now prohibited from denying or overcharging individuals with pre-existing illnesses such as HIV or any other transgender-related medical history.

But stricter implementation of these guidelines may have to be enforced.

A letter recently addressed to the Department of Health and Human Services signed by over 300 healthcare advocacy groups have accused insurance agencies of discrimination against individuals with existing medical conditions.

Among the 300 signatures belong to the AIDS Institute, which has urged agencies to offer a more comprehensive treatment coverage for the disease.

While HIV and AIDS treatments in the U.S. have decreased over the years, annual medical costs are still estimated at US$10,000 per patient.