Pride and Healthcare Access: The LGBTQ+ Care Gap and What Brands Can Do About It

Happy Pride!

This year, C+R’s CultureBeat team is excited to explore health & wellness within the LGBTQ+ community with you. Let’s dive in, starting with the healthcare system overall!

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We all rely on the healthcare system at some point in our lives. Some days we feel healthy and don’t give it a second thought beyond our yearly check-ups. Other times we’re faced with challenges like rising premiums and coverage.

Unfortunately, there are disparities that negatively impact the LGBTQ+ community’s experience with our healthcare system regardless of their health status. For one, the high cost of medical care and limited insurance coverage is a bigger barrier for the community. LGBTQ+ adults are more than twice as likely as non-LGBTQ+ adults to postpone care when sick or injured because they cannot afford it. But cost is only one of the reasons those in the LGBTQ+ community are not getting the care they need.

As Americans, many of us appreciate the ability to select our healthcare providers, including our primary doctor and any specialists we may see, that are covered by insurance. That choice is personal: some prioritize convenience, while others look for experience treating patients with similar health issues. For many LGBTQ+ people, however, choosing a provider carries added weight because the stakes are higher. Compared to non-LGBTQ+ adults, they are more likely to delay or skip preventative care and treatment for serious health concerns out of fear of discrimination from healthcare providers.

If you listen to LGBTQ+ people tell their stories or do a quick search online, you’ll hear anecdotes of a variety of negative experiences with healthcare professionals due to their identity as LGBTQ+. Given the limited training many providers receive, that pattern is not surprising. Medical schools offer an average of just five hours of LGBTQ+-related education, and one-third offer none at all. As a result, finding affirming, informed care often is a challenge that falls entirely on LGBTQ+ patients themselves.

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These disparities also create an opportunity for healthcare providers and brands to invest in solutions that can make an impact and increase loyalty among the community.

Some providers include the phrase “LGBTQ+ Allied” in their profiles, descriptions, or on their websites. This seemingly small indicator can have a big impact by reassuring LGBTQ+ people that they can seek medical care without fear of discrimination. But the label only matters if it is supported by staff training that equips providers to meet LGBTQ+ people’s unique health needs and create the welcoming environment “LGBTQ+ Allied” promises.

The language providers use with patients also plays a key role in building inclusivity and trust. In direct conversations and forms, patients need space to comfortably share their pronouns, gender identity, and sexuality along with their sex assigned at birth. Each of these details can help healthcare providers deliver quality care, while assumptions or discounting self-identification can be detrimental to earning trust. C+R has helped clients understand how to ask these questions appropriately in a healthcare setting – doing so helps patients feel safe to be fully honest & transparent, leading to more culturally-competent care.

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While individual healthcare providers & offices are on the front lines of improving experiences for LGBTQ+ people, there’s an opportunity for brands across the health & wellness space to contribute to genuine solutions for these disparities:

And all should also test their communications to ensure they resonate with the LGBTQ+ community, especially in health categories that disproportionately impact the LGBTQ+ community. The brands that treat LGBTQ+ health equity as a core business priority, rather than a campaign theme, are the ones building relationships that hold up year after year.

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The data tells a clear story: there are disparities in our healthcare system that disproportionately impact the LGBTQ+ community.

Brands in the healthcare and wellness space have an opportunity to gain ground with LGBTQ+ consumers or to lose it. The difference is rarely about their budget. It’s about understanding who this audience is, what their needs are, what they expect, and how you can show up for them.

Though we’ve specifically called out the healthcare and wellness industry, the tips provided here aren’t necessarily industry-specific. They’re applicable to every brand and should be prioritized. And brands that get this right do not guess. They invest in learning about the LGBTQ+ community and conduct research to better inform how the community views their brand and what they can do to better meet their needs.

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C+R’s CultureBeat team recognizes that one of the most meaningful ways brands can show up consistently is by supporting the health and well-being of the LGBTQ+ community, an area where thoughtful action can make a real difference. As we continue to shine the spotlight on health and wellness for the LGBTQ+ community, we invite you to stay tuned for more on this topic and how your brand can make an impact that extends far beyond Pride Month.