Harvard Pilgrim, Tufts team with Included Health on LGBTQ+ care
Health plan members gain access to a dedicated team, led by LGBTQ+ care coordinators, that can connect them to in-network affirming care.
Photo: Martin Barraud/Getty Images
Two payers, Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, have entered into a partnership with virtual care and navigation platform Included Health in an attempt to strengthen healthcare access for those in the LGBTQ+ community.
San Francisco-based Included Health's LGBTQ+ Health offering, a cornerstone of the agreement, serves as a guide and advocate for people in the community, providing personalized health benefit support and navigation. Health plan members gain access to a dedicated team, which is led by LGBTQ+ care coordinators, that can connect them to in-network affirming care, as well as other benefits that extend beyond the traditional healthcare ecosystem, such as relevant social support groups.
"Our work with Included Health reaffirms our commitment to supporting the care needs of our health plan members within the LGBTQ+ community," said Peter Bell, Director of Commercial Strategy & Innovation at Point32Health, which owns the health plans.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
Effective as of January 1, fully-insured commercial members of Tufts Health Plan are able to use Included Health's LGBTQ+ Health services to gain additional support tailored to their specific needs. Members of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care's fully-insured commercial health plans will gain access to these services later in the year.
In addition to offering LGBTQ+ Health, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care also provides its commercial health plan members with access to Doctor On Demand by Included Health for urgent care and virtual primary care.
"Research has shown that 40% of LGBTQ+ individuals have been discriminated against in a healthcare setting, a crippling reality that too often results in care postponement or avoidance," said Colin Quinn, president of Communities at Included Health. "We are thrilled to collaborate with an innovative health plan who shares our commitment to whole-person care for everyone."
THE LARGER TREND
The move furthers the trend of providing more support and services to those in the LGBTQ+ community. Case in point is SCAN Health Plan, a Medicare Advantage insurer known for its focus on older adults, which in October said it was debuting a plan designed for LGBTQ+ seniors, a group the organization claimed has "typically been overlooked and underserved by our healthcare system."
The plan, SCAN Affirm partnered with Included LGBTQ+ Health, was created in collaboration with Included Health.
SCAN Affirm members will be supported by Included Health's Communities program. Included Health Communities is a dedicated care concierge and healthcare navigation platform for underserved populations, including the LGBTQ+ community.
The platform seeks to improve care equity by increasing members' trust in healthcare, connections to high-quality affirming care, and healthcare literacy and confidence, while reducing care avoidance. Members will also be able to access Included Health's behavioral health and on-demand virtual visits, which the company described as "culturally affirming."
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: Jeff.Lagasse@himssmedia.com
