FOLX Is Making Queer and Trans Healthcare Accessible

Founded in January of this year, FOLX Health is one of the first health companies dedicated to providing tailored medical treatment and care specifically for queer and transgender communities. The current state of health care for transgender people is disastrous: 42% of trans women report abuse or abuse by health care providers, reports the National Center for Transgender Equality. Nearly 1 in 5 transgender people have been denied health care, the National LGBTQ Task Force finds. At FOLX, everything is done virtually, including face-to-face telemedicine visits to LGBTQ-qualified providers and prescriptions for hormone replacement therapy (HRT). FOLX will soon provide home pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and STI kits.

We spoke to AG Breitenstein, founder and CEO of FOLX Health, to learn more about how the company is revolutionizing the medical landscape for the LGBTQ + community.

Men’s health: where did the idea for FOLX come from?

AB: First you need to know about my trajectory. I graduated from law school and in 1994, at the height of the AIDS crisis, I started a small nonprofit for children who worked in the sex business on the streets of Boston. I really saw firsthand how broken the system was in so many ways, but especially the health system for our community. This paved the way for an extremely Homeric journey through the health system. I attended a public health school and worked in data-related startups. I learned how to do venture capital. The whole time I was frustrated with the medical system that had every point of view – because they had the money – with the exception of the patients. The last person asked what they really want is the patient. And then it is difficult to find queer-competent health care in the queer and trans community.

Doctors don’t know what it is to be into hormones or what it is to have gay sex. If you go to the average medical school, you’ll get anywhere from zero to six hours of queer and trans health training over four years. So that was the setting.

How is FOLX changing health care for trans and non-binary people?

FOLX Health is the first queer and trans health platform developed for and by the LGBTQIA + community that removes previous barriers and stigmata. It is a trailblazer for a new standard of health that will serve this marginalized community in ways never seen before. FOLX offers medical plans for testosterone and estrogen hormone replacement therapy, as well as erectile dysfunction. In January, FOLX is also rolling out services like PrEP and STI testing at home to become an all-in-one queer health care service that improves access to care for all.

Click here to meet more LGBTQ + changers. ‘

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Many members of the queer and trans community have grappled with a health system that calls for inclusive care, but lags far behind. The current system includes caregivers who don’t understand queer health needs, prescribed routines treating people as problems to be solved, endless government circles, and millions of people left to care for their bodies, their sexual choices, their families, and theirs Defend goals.

FOLX was founded as a digital-native platform designed to reach the broader community and not obstruct access based on location. All medication is delivered directly and discreetly to the patient’s home, democratizing the healthcare path for the LGBTQIA + population.

Can you talk about the current difficulties people face in finding LGBTQ-skilled providers and gender-equitable health care?

Today, most queer and transgender people experience a unique system of barriers that make great care inaccessible. The current system is confusing, expensive and discriminatory. This is made worse by an insurance system that often does not cover essential queer and transsexual benefits such as gender-affirming surgeries or reciprocal IVF. Add to this the fact that many doctors don’t prescribe the drugs we need, our bodies don’t understand, and when they do they require many layers of unnecessary gatekeeping. And insurance makes the problem worse. Much of the care we want isn’t even covered, and when it is, we often have to go through lengthy pre-approval processes and bureaucratic hurdles. And even if we get through that, our medication can be changed in the pharmacy without our consent, and on top of that we can pay most of the costs out of pocket due to high co-payments and deductibles.

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What are some of the most important things people outside the LGBTQ community don’t understand about what it is like to receive medical care as an LGBTQ person?

One in five transsexuals is denied care and 42% of transwomen have been abused in the healthcare sector. I’ve worked in healthcare for over 30 years and during that time I realized how broken the healthcare system was in terms of access, but also heteronormativity. The current health care system is focused on diagnosis and treatment, but for those in the trans and queer community this is not always the case. We want to offer a platform on which members of the community feel supported in freely exploring gender and sexuality.

FOLX has only been around for a few months, but what feedback have you had from patients so far?

We have already heard feedback from a number of our members who have told us how refreshing it is to have healthcare providers who understand their needs but also understand them as people.

What are some of the challenges you faced?

Recruit enough clinicians who know and are connected to this community. Then the regulatory landscape (i.e. trying to allow FOLX in every state) is a total nightmare. It really isn’t made to protect patients. It really is much more than protecting medical practice from state to state. All you have to do is submit a ton of paperwork and pay a ton of fees. They don’t show that you’re a better doctor in Idaho than you are in Wisconsin. That is why we have to roll out slowly, state by state, as we have to bow to the bureaucratic gods.

What is the pricing like as a FOLX patient?

In all circumstances, the goal is to pay below what you will pay for your deductible and deductible. The national average is $ 25 deductible and a $ 1,644 deductible before the first dollar of insurance even goes into effect. We will always get in or be below. Our pricing is pretty simple at the moment. You are currently buying a product, such as a subscription to HRT. We’re going to evolve this into something that is much more membership-based so that if you add multiple recipes, you’ll only have to manage a single membership fee. We’re going to keep it really simple and accessible.

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source https://dailyhealthynews.ca/folx-is-making-queer-and-trans-healthcare-accessible/