LGBTQ+ care equity challenges and associated costs
Our recent research highlights that healthcare disparities experienced by the LGBTQ+ community impact care avoidance and mental health.
Of the employer-insured LGBTQ+ population, we found that:
higher costs associated with emergency
department and inpatient stays
With nearly 8% of the adult population–including 20% of millennials and 16% of gen Z–identifying as LGBTQ+, there is real potential for negative health outcomes and increased costs.
For LGBTQ+ members, a one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work
Every employer wants to provide healthcare benefits that keep employees healthy, happy, and productive while keeping costs in check. The traditional one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare doesn’t work for the LGBTQ+ community.
Even though about 15% of the U.S. workforce likely has direct or dependent-based LGBTQ+ health needs, this community has long been excluded from traditional healthcare systems and does not get the care they need. Providing the right benefits isn’t enough—employers need to make it easy for employees to learn about and access those benefits, and to help build employee comfort and trust to engage or reengage with healthcare. Only a few studies focus on the employed-insured LGBTQ+ population, and similarly, few studies highlight the cost of these disparities to individuals and self-insured employers.
To address this research gap, we conducted a national study with more than 1,500 LGBTQ+ employees from Fortune 100 companies to understand their healthcare experiences. The learnings reinforce the need to reimagine the healthcare benefits experience to meet the needs of this population.
Healthcare disparities cause sub-optimal healthcare engagement
Lack of engagement
40% of survey respondents reported a negative experience or discrimination in a healthcare setting and 35% of the population postpones or avoids care.
Difficulty finding medical care for those who try to engage
About 45% of survey respondents reported difficulty finding a primary care physician and up to 25% are less likely to visit the doctor’s office.
Difficulty finding mental health providers
~60% of respondents reported difficulty finding a mental health provider which leads to untreated anxiety and depression. This is especially damaging given that ~40% of survey respondents reported suffering from anxiety or depression.
Poor health outcomes lead to higher costs for employers
greater emergency room usage
more inpatient admissions
cost associated with emergency department and inpatient stays
in additional per member per year costs associated with emergency department and inpatient stays