Supporting LGBTQ+ employees with inclusive health care benefits
Here are a few steps that HR and benefit leaders can take to provide wider health care access for LGBTQ+ employees.
Diversity and inclusion initiatives for LGBTQ+ employees are essential to create a welcoming and accepting workplace. While a culture of inclusion can be fostered through day-to-day employee interactions, anti-discrimination policies, proper pronoun usage, dress code, bathroom policies and more, inclusive health and wellness benefits that address the unique health care needs of these employees and their families are also a key component.
Inclusive health care benefits are critical for HR and benefit leaders that want to support LGBTQ+ employees throughout their health care journey. Unfortunately, some employer health programs take a one-size-fits-all approach with offerings that don’t meet the complete needs of everyone. By offering personalized and inclusive health benefits, HR and benefit leaders can connect their LGBTQ+ employees to quality care that addresses individualized needs while promoting a comfortable and accepting workplace environment.
Related: SCOTUS rules in favor of LGBT employees in landmark civil rights decision
Here are a few steps that HR and benefit leaders can take to provide wider health care access for LGBTQ+ employees:
Understand the LGBTQ+ health care landscape
HR and benefit leaders need to understand the challenges LGBTQ+ employees face in health care in order to improve their experience. The American health care system can be particularly difficult for LGTBQ+ individuals to navigate. Doctors and nurses are inadequately trained to treat specific LGBTQ+ health care needs and data show that medical students only receive five hours of LGBTQ-focused education on average. It is also common for LGBTQ+ patients to experience negative interactions with doctors, nurses, dentists, and other medical staff members, which is why many members of the community will delay necessary appointments or avoid seeking care all together. This is extremely disheartening when you consider the importance of regular, routine or preventative exams and screenings.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community can also be at a higher risk for certain health conditions and are 2.5 times more likely to experience depression and anxiety. These individuals often spend hours trying to find friendly, culturally competent doctors that will not only understand and treat their unique care needs but also fully support and accept them for who they are. HR and benefit leaders need to recognize that many LGBTQ+ employees have had a difficult time trying to find quality health care and then take the steps necessary to help them through the process.
Expand health care benefit offerings
LGBTQ+ employees have certain health needs that differ from their heterosexual and cisgender colleagues, but standard employee health and benefit offerings often overlook these differences. Health care is more than just an annual visit to the doctor. It’s a receptionist recognizing and using correct pronouns, or a therapist who can fully understand the LGBTQ+ experience.
These moments start with the choices HR and benefit leaders make around their offered medical benefits. For example, members of the LGBTQ+ community may require specific health services like more inclusive fertility options, gender-affirming care, specialized mental health professionals, access to PrEP or other medical prescriptions and more. Companies need to make sure these offerings are included in health benefit packages and readily available for the employees that need them.
To stay current, HR and benefit leaders must regularly assess and update their benefits offerings to consider the needs of every employee. Even with inclusive benefits, additional barriers are present for LGBTQ+ employees when trying to identify the right provider. It is important for employers to acknowledge potential barriers and help those employees navigate them to find a provider that specializes in their specific needs.
Empower and evolve
When it comes to health care, it is essential for LGBTQ+ employees to feel like their employers are supportive. Beyond offering these benefits and helping to connect them to affirming providers, HR and benefit leaders can take their efforts one step further by continuing to evolve to meet all LGBTQ+ health or wellness needs.
By consistently communicating with these employees, keeping a pulse on what is going on in the community and empowering them to be their most authentic selves at work, companies can get a better sense of what issues are a priority for the community and implement the appropriate strategies and policies as needed to make the entire workforce feel inclusive.
All employees, regardless of who they are, should have equal access to a wide range of personalized benefits that connect them to the right care when and wherever they need it. Companies can uphold their commitment to acceptance and advocacy by understanding the LGBTQ+ experience in health care, revamping their benefit offerings and continuing to evolve. This way, HR and benefit leaders can ensure that they are providing all employees with quality health care services and create a more welcoming and accepting workplace environment.
Colin Quinn is the co-founder and CEO of Included Health, which was acquired by Grand Rounds Health and Doctor on Demand in May 2021. Included Health is reimagining the way health care should be delivered to diverse populations. Today, Included Health is focused on creating a better health care experience for members of the LGBTQ+ community by connecting members to inclusive providers who understand their unique health needs. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, he understands firsthand the challenges members of the LGBTQ+ community face navigating their health care. He is passionate about raising care equality for underserved patient populations.
Read more: