FOLX was founded by entrepreneur and health advocate A.G. Breitenstein.
For many LGBTQIA+ people who challenge gender and sexual norms, healthcare can be a minefield filled with boundaries, shame, discrimination, and even violence. Insurance can be confusing; it can be challenging to get appointments, and talking about sex or gender dysphoria to practitioners who don't understand are just some of the community's common hurdles on a day-to-day basis.
In response, a company named FOLX Health recently launched as a digital healthcare service provider specifically designed to provide customized medical plans for the LGBTQIA+ community. FOLX combines access to a specialized network of Queer and Trans clinicians with a tailored focus on clinical offerings typically marginalized in traditional health settings.
Their ultimate goal is to remove the barriers and stigmas and design a healthcare platform that puts Queer and Trans people in control of their lives, bodies, and medical care.
When Caring Falls Short in Healthcare
female doctor talking with two male patients in modern office
In 2017, a survey by the Center for American Progress showed that 8% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual respondents and 29% of transgender respondents reported that a healthcare provider had refused to see them because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Over the same period, 9% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual respondents and 21 % of transgender respondents said a provider had even used harsh or abusive language when seeking medical care.
LGBTQIA+ people face alarming health care discrimination rates—from harassment and humiliation by providers to being turned away by hospitals, pharmacists, and doctors. FOLX was founded by entrepreneur and health advocate A.G. Breitenstein, who has experienced this first hand.
"Like many companies, FOLX grew out of stories," Breitenstein shared. "I can't count how many times I have had the following conversation: 'Yes, I'm sexually active — No, I don't use birth control — No, I'm not worried about getting pregnant.' Then comes the awkward pause and the confused look. And I usually wait a beat and add, 'I don't need a lecture on how babies are made — I'm gay.'"
"My wife and I were required to see a social worker before we started IVF," said one half of a lesbian couple that posted on FOLX's website. "She was nice enough. But she seemed to spend most of the visit asking countless questions about what it was like for us, a lesbian couple. And then she veered into a lengthy monologue about how great it would be to have two moms raising one kid. We came out of the session feeling like we were a circus act and like we had wasted an hour."
For many in the Queer community, these kinds of episodes are commonplace. Awkward questions and ignorant assumptions are bad enough, but this level of ignorance can also turn violent. According to Lambda Legal's Survey on Discrimination Against LGBT People and People Living with HIV, 7% of cis-gay men and lesbians and 22% of trans/non-binary people report being assaulted in health care settings.
"We need something better," said Breitenstein. "We deserve something better."
FOLX Aims to Create Better Access
FOLX Health recently launched as a digital healthcare service provider specifically designed to ... [+]
Besides discrimination, LGBTIA+ people often face higher barriers to accessing care. They are twice as likely to be uninsured as non- LGBTQ individuals. Many have difficulty finding providers who will treat them without passing judgment on their sexual orientation or gender identity or offer the services they need, particularly in rural areas. Some have difficulty finding providers who will treat them at all. Also, at present, thirteen states do not have any LGBTQIA+ community health centers whatsoever.
"For now, our services are all virtual," Breitenstein shared. "We believe that most care will move online in the coming years, and that will help a lot of FOLX get access to much-needed care. That said, some things can't be done virtually. So we do have plans that include physical clinics."
While FOLX does not accept insurance, plans will be offered at prices similar to or below most co-pay/deductible rates. They provide support in gender-affirming hormone therapy, ED, PrEP, and STI testing. Each offering will include unlimited on-demand clinical support, at-home lab testing, and home-delivered medications.
The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) indicated that it would prevent discrimination against transgender people in federally funded healthcare programs. They also suggested regulations that give providers greater latitude in refusing to provide services to LGBTQIA+ people, women, and others by asserting a moral or religious objection. Still, there's clearly room for improvement.
In addition to treating Queer and Trans people, FOLX's team is comprised of LGBTQIA+ doctors and nurse-practitioners. The personal experiences they've had before FOLX are deeply embedded in the solutions and thoughtful experience design. Their goal is to make LGBTQIA+ individuals feel as though there's finally a healthcare service that sees, hears, and celebrates their lives.
"Unlike a general health practitioner, FOLX is very deliberate about how it approaches its services," Breitenstein explained. "We focus on a few issues that are core to the Queer and Trans community. Specifically: Identity (HRT), sex (ED, PrEP, STI, Sexual Wellness), and family (Fertility coaching, home insemination, etc.) This allows us to be very deliberate, transformative, and holistic about the care we provide as opposed to trying to be all things to all people."
As for the future, Breitenstein explained that they also hope to impact mainstream healthcare as well. "We want to become a center for excellence in how best to provide services to Queer and Trans folks. But we also want to transform the way all care is delivered. At our core, we believe that people should control their bodies and control the care that serves their life goals. This is a very different approach from most care delivery systems that gatekeep, control, and sometimes outright shame people based on who they are and what they want for their lives."
"I think things are changing for the better," Breitenstein adds. "We are starting with HRT and Sexual Health, but we plan to get to all 50 states and then go onto family services. This is what motivates us every day. We are building the first national, virtual care platform for the Queer and Trans community. And we can't wait!"
