Supporting LGBTQ+ employees with inclusive health care benefits

Inclusive health benefits can connect LGBTQ+ employees to quality care that addresses individualized needs while promoting an accepting workplace environment.

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.

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.

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