How Healthcare Access and Treatment Are Evolving to Better Serve 2SLGBTQIA+ Patients
One of the best things about working in healthcare innovation is seeing the impact on historically underserved communities. Sometimes we’re so far ahead of the curve on this technology we forget that not everyone is seeing what we’re seeing.
In honor of Pride, we polled our attorneys on the most exciting innovations for 2SLGBTQIA+** people and what other healthcare companies can do to better serve these communities.
(Be sure to scroll down for our list of healthcare innovators serving 2SLGBTQIA+ communities!)
**You may be more familiar with the acronym LGBTQ+. We use the newer acronym of 2SLGBTQIA+ to represent Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and/or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and the countless affirmative ways in which people choose to self-identify. There is a discussion within the communities over which acronym should be commonly used, and until that is settled we will use both acronyms in our content to make sure anyone googling either acronym can find the content they’re searching for.
What is the most exciting innovation, advancement, or opportunity you've seen over the last year for 2SLGBTQIA+ regarding healthcare access or treatment?
Partner Rebecca Gwilt says: “For a long time, entrepreneurs and innovators paid lip service to health equity, and I feel like we're now finally turning a corner. Society is coming around to the realization that discrimination is a key determinant of health, and we're starting to see technology solutions purpose built for inclusivity for many underrepresented groups. Companies like EqualityMD, Folx, Outcare, Plume, and Violet are delivering culturally competent, specialized, and inclusive healthcare for 2SLGBTQIA+ people. And companies serving the broader population are adding specific training, services, and products for the unique needs of these communities.”
Senior Counsel Casey Papp is particularly excited about companies that are increasing health benefits and access to care for 2SLGBTQIA+ people who don’t always fit into the traditional healthcare constructs that provide for services like fertility treatments. She says, “Digital health companies have been creating avenues to expand access to care, like partnering with fertility banks to address 2SLGBTQIA+ conception needs or creating specific modules and tailored content to address the needs of 2SLGBTQIA+ families and single parents.”
Senior Counsel Laura Podolsky says she does not celebrate state-level efforts to discourage and/or prevent gender affirming care for youth. However, she does think these bills have highlighted issues of access and equity for trans people and the importance of parental support for trans kids.
Senior Counsel Kaitlyn O’Connor has been most impressed by those companies providing support for members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community where those members have historically had limited or reduced access to essential healthcare. For example, Plume is providing virtual, gender-affirming care for trans people—a population that healthcare providers and insurance carriers often undervalue and mistreat. She also thinks there is an opportunity for healthcare providers to leverage Remote Therapeutic Monitoring ("RTM"), a newly reimbursable set of CPT codes, to track and manage hormone therapy regimens more efficiently and in a private and secure manner.
Counsel Mary Beth Platt sees more access and acceptance generally, from more inclusive questioning on health care forms and in medical records to more funding opportunities for 2SLGBTQIA+ entrepreneurs. (Click here for 2SLGBTQIA+-focused funds within our Invest In Women and Invest in Black Founders lists.)
Operations coordinator and activist Marisa Cieloha counters that while there are companies and innovators doing amazing work to fight for access, we have a long way to go. She says healthcare access and treatment for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community has taken a huge hit in the past year, mostly targeting the transgender community.
What is one simple thing healthcare businesses could do to improve healthcare access, treatment, or outcomes for 2SLGBTQIA+ people?
Rebecca says she’d like to see businesses ensure that their leadership teams include 2SLGBTQIA+ people. Counsel Natalie Birnbaum echoes this sentiment by asking for culturally-centered care. By having people within the community have a say in the way care is given, we’ll see better patient outcomes.
This feeds into comments from Mary Beth, Laura, and Casey, who vote for resources and communication to promote a safe space, staff (including administrative staff) training on issues of access and equality, and hiring and training queer-competent care navigators. We wrote about this last year with easy inclusive actions every provider, employer, and company can take when communicating with clients and patients as well as when collecting personal data.
Marisa wants companies to break out of the binary mold and view people as individual humans rather than defaulting to “male body” vs. “female body” models.
When it comes to product teams, Rebecca recommends building UX around the needs and perspectives of the variety of people and family types in the 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. She adds that unconscious bias training should be mandatory!
Kaitlyn wants providers to treat 2SLGBTQIA+ patients the same as heterosexual patients and for insurance companies to cover essential services like gender-affirming hormone therapy and surgical procedures.
What Healthcare Innovators Serve 2SLGBTQIA+ communities?
We started tracking innovative healthcare companies serving the 2SLGBTQIA+ community last year, and we’re excited to have additions to the list this year. Know of a company that should be on this list? Tell us!
equalityMD: “equalityMD is the Match.com of telehealth. Our matching algorithm connects LGBTQ+ patients with culturally competent providers who deliver inclusive, personalized care.”
Folx Health: “Everything you need to know about LGBT+ healthcare.”
Helsa Helps: Helps LGBTQ people learn about their mental wellbeing and uses proprietary matching technology to connect LGBTQ people to the therapists that are most qualified to support them.
Included Health: A comprehensive health platform partnering with employers to connect LGBTQ+ members to culturally competent, quality providers who understand the unique needs of the community.
Lighthouse: Helps LGBTQ individuals find healthcare professionals right for them.
Luvie: Connects LGBTQ individuals to a qualified community of support, knowledge, and resources so that they can thrive in their health, body, and sexuality.
MyTransHealth: Helps trans people get access to quality healthcare.
Outcare: “OutCare, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the nation’s first comprehensive resource for LGBTQ+ healthcare offering provider and healthcare resource directories, mentorship, medical education reform, and cultural competency training.”
Plume: “Gender-affirming hormone therapy from your phone.”
Pride Counseling: “Professional therapy for the LGBTQ community.”
Queerly: A health tech startup bridging the gap between the LGBTQ community and safe, comprehensive, and culturally competent healthcare providers.
Queermed: Provides virtual hormone therapy and gender-affirming care to patients of all ages.
QSPACES: Helps users find a LGBTQ-friendly doctor or therapist
Trans in the South: An online directory of more than 400 Southern health service providers who are trans-affirming.
Violet: “In addition to our benchmarks connecting patients to the right care for them, our platform enables provider organizations to reach new patients and retain more of these patients by care routing more effectively. Inclusive health care builds better relationships, resulting in happier and healthier patients.”
Woven Bodies: An inclusive digital practice supporting LGBTQ folks and allies from family planning through parenthood.
What will we be able to report next year?
While we hope to see more companies serving 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, we’re also hoping more mainstream companies and providers make an effort to include every type of patient.
And since hope is not a strategy, we’ll continue to do our part to advance healthcare access and treatment options for every type of person by helping healthcare companies and providers innovate faster.