FOLX Health, a digital healthcare provider for the LGBTQIA+ community, is now in-network with regional and national health plans, including Blue Shield of California, the company announced Thursday.
Boston-based FOLX Health is built to serve different communities’ needs by offering virtual primary care, one-on-one therapy, mental health medication management, hormone replacement therapy, pre-exposure prophylaxis and care navigation. It has a network of queer and trans-specialized providers and provides care in all 50 states. In addition to now working with insurers, it also works with employers and has a direct-to-consumer business. For employers, its experts provide diversity, equity and inclusion training and employee resource group support.
In addition to going in-network with Blue Shield of California, FOLX is now in-network with Cigna, Evernorth and other insurers. This comes at a time when nearly 30% of transgender-identifying people experience discrimination in healthcare or are not able to see a provider because of cost.
“By joining these networks, we’re now able to reach thousands more LGBTQIA+ patients who are in need of FOLX Health services, at a much more affordable cost,” said Liana Douillet Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health, in an email.
“The percentage of Americans who identify as LGBTQIA+ is increasing, with one in five Gen Z adults identifying as LGBTQ, but it is still incredibly challenging for LGBTQIA+ patients to find affirming and inclusive providers,” Douillet Guzmán continued. “FOLX provides LGBTQIA+ specific health care that addresses the unique medical needs of the community and opens access to clinicians that are expertly trained to serve the community, most of whom identify as LGBTQIA+ themselves.”
Blue Shield of California chose to work with FOLX Health to meet the diverse needs of its members, said Krishna Ramachandran, senior vice president of health transformation and provider adoption of the insurer.
“California is a big, diverse state, and our members are very diverse as well. … We want to have solutions that meet members where they are and have providers that match the diversity of our members. We want to provide care that is convenient and accessible, but also appropriate for LGBTQIA+ members,” Ramachandran said in an interview.
Another company that serves the LGBTQIA+ population is Included Health, which also works with insurers and employers. It offers virtual and in-person urgent care, primary care, behavioral health and specialty care.
In going in-network with insurers like Blue Shield of California, FOLX aims to expand access to affirming care and make it easier for members to “find the care that they need,” Douillet Guzmán said. In addition, the company hopes to expand and grow its lines of business outside of the commercial population in the future.
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