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Folx health review1/28/2024 ![]() So I went to public health school did some startups and big data analytics, hoping that if we knew better, we'd do better and then did some investing in health care. I'm only sort of coming to grips with that now, but I started my career - and I will spare you most of the once upon a time - as a lawyer working with queer and trans kids, and that actually kicked off my desire to get into the whole world of how can we fix health care. There are so many ways in which I think about this as the company that I was always supposed to build. So why launch a health care company now, and one that's specifically focused on the LGBTQ community? The conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.Ģ020 has been a huge year for health care due to the pandemic. Protocol talked to Breitenstein about why she is building Folx, what it's been like building a new health care company in the pandemic and how a Biden presidency could change things. And unlike a lot of DTC companies, such as Hims & Hers or birth control company Nurx, which are more focused on selling products, Folx will help provide the clinical care so that its members are meeting virtually with doctors who are specialized in the needs of the queer and trans community.Īfter raising a $4.4 million seed round from Define Ventures, Bessemer and Polaris Partners, Folx is launching on Thursday to begin accepting members in six states, before rolling out nationally early next year. Her solution is starting with a direct-to-consumer model that will allow Folx members to sign up for services like hormone replacement therapy or STI testing. I'll try to find a website for you, but I have no idea how to do that,'" Breitenstein said. "If you start talking to people, over and above the question of just outright hostility and discrimination, we heard countless stories of lesbians going to the doctor and saying, 'You know, I'm thinking about doing at-home insemination,' and their doctor just being like, 'That's cool. But it was her own experience and countless stories from others that made her realize that a lot of the health care system today isn't set up to adequately address the needs of the queer and trans community. ![]() Breitenstein started her career as a lawyer for LGBTQ youth and then worked in health care as an entrepreneur and investor. It's why she built Folx Health, a new health care company designed for the queer and trans community. "I think this is the beginning of a wave of very specific companies that need to meet people and patients where they are in their lives - based on who they are, where they come from, what their experiences are - as opposed to the traditional primary care model, which treats all people as the same," Breiteinstein said. Instead, she wants to build a health care solution that's bespoke for the queer and trans community, an area that is underserved and often actively discriminated against by the current health care system. But it's a model that Breitenstein sees as outdated in today's world, where health care doesn't need to be one size fits all: When it is, it's often to the detriment of communities. Breitenstein, primary care is like the general store owner on the prairie: They try to be all things to all people. According to the ACLU, over 20 states have introduced bills that would deny care, and some go as far as making it a Class C felony to provide gender-affirming care.To A.G. ![]() Many bills have specifically targeted transgender individuals and youth. So rather than being a point solution that’s focused on one niche area, we believe that we can provide this expert care across a full spectrum of needs.”Ĭurrently, the company is providing care to 10,000 individuals across 42 states, and is looking to expand to all 50 in the near future.Īlthough FOLX has been pushing for affirmative care, Republican lawmakers have pushed for bills denying or limiting access to this and other LGBTQ+-centered services. “I would add that part of our model is really this idea of holistic care. With the addition of the groups, “we’re able to really move folks from fear of accessing healthcare to a place where they are actively engaged in their wellness,” said Liana Douillet Guzmán, CEO of FOLX Health. The new funding will be used to support existing programs, but also to launch and expand these expert-led groups. The company provides affirming and inclusive care through services such as hormone replacement therapy, PrEP prescriptions, general and sexual health services.įOLX also recently began offering support groups, led by either a clinician or expert over multiple weeks, followed by one-on-one consultations to create individualized programs for users. FOLX Health, a telehealth company catering to the LGBTQIA+ community, closed a fresh $30 million round of funding, which it will use to expand its new support groups feature.
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