As an LGBTQ+ person myself, I know firsthand how difficult it can be finding healthcare providers that truly understand and properly support my community. We still face discrimination, judgment and outright denial of care far too often from mainstream health systems.
So when I first heard about Folx Health and their services catered specifically to queer and trans people, I was intrigued but skeptical. Could a new startup really provide knowledgeable, specialized care for the LGBTQ+ needs that so many doctors still don‘t understand?
After now being a Folx Health customer for over 6 months, I can definitively say they live up to their promises. I‘ve found Folx Health‘s services to be life-changing in their convenience, quality of care and sense of true LGBTQ+ community.
This detailed guide will give you background on Folx Health, walk through my experiences using it, and provide all the details you need to decide whether their telehealth services are right for your situation.
Challenges Facing LGBTQ+ Healthcare
Before reviewing Folx Health specifically, it‘s useful to understand why quality healthcare remains out of reach for so many in the queer and trans community.
- 15-30% of LGBTQ+ Americans lack health insurance compared to 10% of the general population. Covering expenses out-of-pocket is challenging [Source]
- 19% of LGBTQ+ patients have been denied healthcare services because of their identity [Source]
- 29% of trans patients say a provider outright refused to see them [Source]
- Only 24% of trans individuals getting gender-affirming hormone therapy report no insurance denial issues [Source]
Finding doctors educated properly on LGBTQ+ issues is difficult across America. And even when found, expenses to access their care remains crushing for a disproportionately uninsured population.
Folx Health aims to tackle all parts of this problem, which I learned firsthand.
Overview of Folx Health‘s Healthcare Services
Founded in 2020, Folx Health offers an innovative slate of healthcare offerings for the underserved LGBTQ+ community:
- Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) prescriptions and medications
- PrEP medication for HIV prevention
- Erectile dysfunction prescriptions
- At-home STI/STD testing
- LGBTQ+ specialized virtual care including routine care, sexual health, mental health and transition-related consultations
- Convenient medication delivery to your home or location of choice
This suite of services covers a wide spectrum of routine, sexual, mental and transition-related healthcare needs of LGBTQ+ patients.
Instead of struggling to find local queer/trans-competent healthcare or fighting traditional providers for insurance approvals, Folx Health makes accessing quality care affordable and convenient through telehealth.
Using Folx Health: My Personal Experience
I signed up for Folx Health services roughly 6 months ago as I was beginning to explore transitioning. I was extremely nervous and intimidated trying to figure out where to even start.
Navigating the patchwork American healthcare system is confusing enough even without a complex set of LGBTQ+ competent care requirements few providers understand.
Folx Health promised knowledgeable doctors, convenient medication delivery and telehealth ease. After getting set up, I have to say they more than delivered.
My sign up steps were simple:
- Chose my HRT prescription plan (estrogen & spironolactone)
- Completed an online intake form with health history, needs, etc.
- Quickly matched to an amazing queer/trans-competent doctor
- Had a fantastic virtual consult to discuss my transition goals
- Received my medications in discreet packaging within a week along with needles, bandages etc
No rejections. No hassle. No mis-gendering or uncomfortable doctors visits. Just exceptional specialized care tailored exactly how I needed and medications conveniently mailed to me.
Follow-ups for prescription changes, questions etc through Folx Health‘s messaging have also been phenomenal. My doctor has guided me through ups and downs with patience and compassion each step. For the first time I feel fully empowered and in control over my transition process.
In 6 months I‘ve received:
- Weekly estrogen & spiro prescriptions
- Help managing side effects
- At-home blood test order & review
- A change from pills to injection preference
- Reasonable $129/month costs with HSA card
The entire experience has been life-changing in convenience, cost savings and avoiding the usual healthcare discrimination. I truly cannot imagine transitioning without this service.
Analyzing the Value of Folx Health
Clearly my personal experience with Folx Health has been extremely positive. But looking beyond just my transition needs, how does Folx Health‘s overall value stack up?
Convenience
Through an easy-to-use telehealth model with at-home services, Folx Health solves nearly all access barriers LGBTQ+ patients commonly face like:
- Finding local queer & trans-competent healthcare
- Transportation to appointments
- Taking off work/school/childcare for visits
- Uncomfortable face-to-face doctor interactions
- Pharmacy trips for prescriptions
Virtual consults, direct medication delivery, discreet packaging and text/messaging followups offer unparalleled convenience compared to traditional healthcare.
Cost Savings
For uninsured patients or those with high insurance deductibles (like my $7000 plan), Folx Health provides major medication savings in most cases.
Comparing my Folx Health $129/month costs against paying out-of-pocket locally:
| Medication | Folx Monthly | Local Pharmacy |
|---|---|---|
| Estradiol | Included | $30-60 |
| Spiro | Included | $25 |
| Appointments | Included | $100-200 |
| Total | $129 | $155-285 |
Adding PrEP ($90/month) or other services changes math, but base HRT through Folx Health cost me $20-120 less per month than alternatives.
For uninsured patients especially, those savings can make accessing care possible when it simply wouldn‘t be otherwise.
Quality + Understanding
Cost and convenience aside, Folx Health‘s biggest differentiator is the actual human care you receive. Their doctors and care teams are exclusively LGBTQ+ focused and sensitive to the community‘s needs in a way mainstream providers often are not.
Getting to speak openly about my transition, ask "stupid questions" I‘d be embarrassed to normally and have a doctor fully tailored to trans issues has been life-changing. I feel so much more comfortable, understood and cared for compared to any past provider.
Quantifying emotions and feelings into a "value" score is impossible, but the quality of care Folx Health offers to an underserved community can‘t be overstated. It is validating, uplifting and for some possibly life-saving.
Limitations
While I‘ve personally found incredible value in Folx Health, it doesn‘t yet solve every problem for every person either. Limitations based on individual situations like:
- Still requires some out-of-pocket costs
- Restricted to 33 states currently
- Doesn‘t integrate insurance for premium lowering
- Access barriers if not tech-savvy
While downsides exist in some cases, the overall value Folx Health can provide specifically for uninsured, digitally-fluent, geographically eligible LGBTQ+ patients is enormous.
Folx Health Cost Breakdown
Understanding exactly what types of Folx Health plans are available and their associated costs is key to determining affordability:
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) Plans
- Folx Start/Restart Plan – For new HRT patients or those restarting after 6+ month break
- $139/month
- Choice of subcutaneous or intramuscular injections
- Oral tablets available for additional $59/month
- Consultations, delivery etc included
- Folx Maintenance Plan – For patients stabilized on HRT medications longer than 1 year
- $99/month
- Less frequent clinical check-ins
- Choice of injections, oral tablets, topical gels
- Includes medication delivery, labs, supplies etc
Both plans come with flexibility to change medications and doses as needed until settling on right fit with doctor guidance.
Other Regular Medications & Services
- PrEP – HIV prevention pill
- $90/month
- Erectile dysfunction (ED) medications
- Sildenafil – $2-9 per dose
- Tadalafil – $7-22 per dose
- At-Home labs
- $59 per test
- Available for hormones, lipids, enzymes etc
Labs, advice, prescription adjustments all included for medications under a subscription plan.
One-Time Appointments & Services
- Virtual Primary Care Visit – $59 per visit
- Mental Health Visit – $95 per visit
- Sexual Health Visit – $59 per visit
These one-off appointments allow accessing Folx Health‘s LGBTQ+ specialized care and advice without a standing subscription. Useful for second opinions, questions and check-ins.
Compared to my costs of $100-200 per appointment previously having to access local LGBTQ+ clinics when available, Folx Health represents significant per-visit savings in most instances.
Customer Reviews: What Folx Health Patients Say
My outstanding experiences reflect what most other Folx Health patients report as well. Compiling reviews from various sites shows consistent 5 star ratings and experiences:
"Folx Health has been a lifesaver! I have never felt so comfortable asking awkward questions about my transition or so happy getting medications without hassle. I don‘t know why this didn‘t exist sooner! Worth every penny!"
"Fantastic experience with Folx Health the last 9 months as I‘ve worked on balancing my HRT prescription. My doctor always explains things clearly, checks side effects and I‘ve saved hundreds even without insurance. I‘ll be a customer for life!"
"As a teen struggling to find LGBTQ+ affirmative care close to me, Folx Health let me take control over my transition in a way my strict parents opposed. Easy online, understanding doctors who don‘t judge you and medications that magically show up has given me my freedom and happiness."
The consistent 5 star glowing sentiments reflect how uniquely Folx fills the gap in convenient, understanding LGBTQ+ healthcare.
Folx Health Compared To Alternatives
How exactly do costs and services stack up between Folx Health and alternatives? Here I break down key competitors on LGBTQ+ healthcare access:
Traditional Doctors
| Folx Health | Traditional | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $$ | $$$$ |
| LGBTQ+ specific knowledge | High | Low/Mixed |
| Access barriers | Virtually None | Transportation, inflexible appts, insurance fights |
| Medication access | Shipped to your door | Separate trips to pharmacies |
Doctors through your insurance can technically deliver care, but finding ones truly competent on LGBTQ+ issues near you can be difficult or impossible in many regions. The comfort, understanding and overall experience is far less tailored.
Plume/Folx Health Competitors
| Folx Health | Plume Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Services | HRT, PrEP, ED, mental health, labs, primary care | Focused mainly on HRT |
| Cost | $$ | $$$ |
| Specializations | Broad LGBTQ+ issues | Mainly transgender patients |
| Years in business | 2 | 4+ |
Of the small number of newer telehealth startups catering to the LGBTQ+ population with a similar model, Plume Health seems to be one of the biggest. But their focus leans more towards transgender HRT specifically rather than wider primary and sexual health.
DIY Medications + Labs
| Folx Health | DIY Ordering | |
|---|---|---|
| Oversight | Doctor monitoring and dosage adjustment | None – self-managed |
| Danger level | Low | Extremely high |
| Cost | $$ | $ |
| Legality | Fully legal healthcare | Use varies by region |
Ordering generic hormones online from overseas pharmacies and managing dosages alone cuts costs substantially but puts patients in considerable risk without doctor oversight. And legal restrictions make access unreliable in many areas. The safety trade-off makes DIY a far worse option compared to telehealth companies.
Self-Pay Local Clinics
| Folx Health | Private LGBTQ+ Clinics | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Accessible virtually everywhere | Limited physical locations |
| Cost | $ | $$-$$$$ |
| Accepts insurance | No | Sometimes |
| Process barriers | Virtually none | Appointments, transportation, wait times |
In some metro regions specialized independent LGBTQ+ health clinics operate that take a self-pay model. But sessions often end up $100+ per visit, still require taking time to physically attend, have long wait times and aren‘t accessible rurally.
Is Folx Health Worth It? My Take.
For uninsured, underinsured and geographically disadvantaged LGBTQ+ patients (as so many still are), Folx Health provides life-changing value and care:
- Eliminates transportation, PTO and other access barriers
- Saves hundreds compared to self-pay costs
- Specialized understanding of LGBTQ+ health needs
- Convenience of at-home services and medication delivery
If eligible based on geography, Folx Health services are absolutely worth the investment given their quality of care, incredible convenience and lower costs compared to alternatives.
For those on Medicaid, Medicare or with very low cost healthcare already, the math may work out better sticking with existing coverage. But limitations in finding truly culturally competent care may still push favoring Folx Health regardless.
Gender transitioning and LGBTQ+ sexual health needs span far beyond just taking hormones or medications. Finding understanding around often uncomfortable topics and procedures remains critical and still exceedingly rare in mainstream American healthcare.
Folx Health bridges all these gaps through easily-accessible, specialized telehealth tailored exactly to the needs of underserved LGBTQ+ patients.
After being a customer for half a year now, I firmly believe that if eligible for their services geographically, signing up will be one of the best health and wellbeing decisions any LGBTQ+ person can make.
Folx Health Review: The Bottom Line
In the sea of America‘s fragmented healthcare mess, Folx Health stands out as a shining light specifically serving populations that far too often still fall into gaps. For any LGBTQ+ person struggling to find quality, understanding and affordable care, Folx Health may quite literally save your health or life.
- Specialized medication access starts at $99 per month
- Reduces appointment barriers through telehealth model
- Expert doctors tailored specifically to queer needs
- Discreet medication delivery to your home
- High rating among customers
While still a new company only available in 33 states currently, their early successes highlight the enormous unmet need. I firmly stand behind Folx Health‘s services and mission and proudly recommend them to any LGBTQ+ person needing healthcare designed specifically with their community in mind.
