Episode S04 E14: Advancing Sexual Health: Breaking Down the Barriers to Gender-Affirming Care Access

Gender-affirming care, including social, psychological, behavioral, and medical interventions, is supportive healthcare that affirms a person’s gender identity when it conflicts with their assigned birth gender. Though proven to result in overwhelmingly positive outcomes, such as reducing suicide ideation and attempts, gender-affirming care access can be hard to come by, especially in primary care settings. In this episode, Kate Steinle, nurse practitioner, chief clinical officer at FOLX Health, and former Planned Parenthood employee, discusses ways to break down the barriers to gender-affirming care and expand access to patients.

Episode S04 E13: Advancing Sexual Health: Introducing Health Plans Designed for the LGBTQ+ Community

Seniors in the LGBTQ+ community today are aging in a country that is much more open to conversation about LGBTQ+ care and wellness than when they were young, but they still face barriers to care and coverage. Sachin Jain, MD, president and chief executive officer of SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan, and Jill Selby, senior vice president of product development, marketing, and market expansion for SCAN Health Plan, share how the health insurance industry can facilitate coverage and cultural change to reduce barriers to care for LGBTQ+ seniors.

Episode S04 E012: Advancing Sexual Health: Addressing the Real Cost of IVF

Because the effects of fertility treatment such as in vitro fertilization can often be traumatic and taxing, patients see many disruptions in their daily lives and have rated the stress of undergoing this procedure as more stressful than or almost as stressful as any other major life event, including the death of a family member or divorce. In this episode, Dr. Maria Costantini-Ferrando, clinical director and reproductive endocrinologist with Reproductive Medicine Associates of New Jersey and a licensed clinical psychologist, shares how in vitro fertilization impacts patients personally, financially, and emotionally and how healthcare providers can lend support.

Episode S04 E11: Chronic Disease Care: Balancing Third-Party Health App Benefits With Security, Privacy Risks

Third-party health apps can help patients manage chronic diseases, log vital signs, and take charge of their health. But these apps often fall outside of HIPAA's purview, leaving them in a regulatory gray area. Tina Grande, executive vice president for policy at the Healthcare Leadership Council and chair of the Confidentiality Coalition, Robert Tennant, vice president of federal affairs at the WEDI, and Marilyn Zigmund Luke, vice president at AHIP, discuss third-party health app privacy and security risks.