Your guide to care as an LGBTQIA+ UPMC Health Plan member
UPMC Health Plan wants our members in the LGBTQIA+ community to find the care they need.
The LGBTQIA+ community often faces discrimination and other challenges.[1] Many members of this community report experiences like these that can make it hard for them to navigate their lives and their health care journey with dignity and respect:
- 18 percent of LGBTQIA+ adults reported avoiding health care due to anticipated discrimination.[2]
- 16 percent of LGBTQIA+ adults reported discrimination in health care encounters.[3]
- In one study, 40 percent of transgender people reported being physically attacked, verbally harassed, or denied equal treatment.[4]
- Because some clinicians are not well-trained in addressing LGBTQIA+ health concerns, younger members of this community may find it difficult to report their sexual identity.
- One study revealed that 68 percent of sexual minority youth reported not discussing their sexual orientation with their clinicians, while 90 percent reported having reservations about providing this information to their clinicians.[5]
Accessing care as an LGBTQIA+ Health Plan member
LGBTQIA+ people deserve a space that makes them feel safe and welcome. That is why UPMC Health Plan has created an environment that is safe for our employees and members while making it easier for our members to navigate their health journey. Our members can:
Reach out to an LGBTQIA+ Health Care Concierge.
UPMC Health Plan members who want to learn more about transgender coverage or have any LGBTQIA+ Health Plan-related questions can call an LGBTQIA+ Health Care Concierge at the phone number on their insurance card or 1-844-202-0126 (TTY: 711) from Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Find an LGBTQIA+ Affirming Provider.
Our LGBTQIA+ Affirming Providers communicate and validate the LGBTQIA+ patient experience and create a safe and welcoming patient-provider relationship for LGBTQIA+ patients. To earn this designation, our providers sign the LGBTQIA+ Affirming Provider designation attestation and complete training modules that have been thoroughly reviewed and influenced by LGBTQIA+ focus groups, provider champions, and LGBTQIA+ Member Services.
To find an LGBTQIA+ Affirming Provider:
- Visit findcare.upmchealthplan.com/find.
- Enter your member ID, then click Find my plan and complete the remaining fields. If you aren’t a member, you can use the I’m Just Browsing tab.
- Select the LGBTQIA+ Affirming filter.
Explore UPMC Health Plan LGBTQIA+ clinical services
UPMC Health Plan offers providers who are knowledgeable in providing care to the LGBTQIA+ communities, including providers for:
- Behavioral health.
- Fertility and reproduction.
- Gender-affirming care and hormone management.
- Gender-affirming voice therapy.
- HIV prevention, PrEP, and sexual wellness.
- Cardiovascular services.
UPMC Health Plan’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ health equity
Dignity and respect are among the core values that support our commitment to LGBTQIA+ health equity. We work to ensure that all our LGBTQIA+ members have access to high-quality care that meets their needs.
We strive to support our LGBTQIA+ colleagues in the same way—and we have been recognized for our successful efforts. UPMC Health Plan and Community Care Behavioral Health Organization (Community Care) have received the top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index.
This is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQIA+ workplace equality. Both organizations join the ranks of over 840 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year. This is the fourth consecutive year the Health Plan has earned this award.
[1] About LGBT Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed March 24, 2014. Accessed May 8, 2023. cdc.gov/lgbthealth/about.htm
[2] Casey LS, Reisner SL, Findling MG, et al. Discrimination in the United States: Experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Americans. Health Serv Res. 2019 Dec;54 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):1454-1466. doi: 10.1111/1475-6773.13229. Epub 2019 Oct 28. PMID: 31659745; PMCID: PMC6864400.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Patient-centered care for transgender people: recommended practices for health care settings. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reviewed Feb. 18, 2022. Accessed July 11, 2023. cdc.gov/hiv/clinicians/transforming-health/health-care-providers/affirmative-care.html
[5] Heslin K, Gore J, King WD, et al. Med Care. Vol. 46. Care: 2008. Sexual orientation and testing for prostate and colorectal cancers among men in California; pp. 1240–1248.
