Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has released a guide to telemedicine for the LGBTQ community.
Telemedicine, or telebehavioral health for mental health support, are virtual doctor’s visits over technology. Telemedicine can be used for COVID-19-related appointments, as well as sick and well primary care visits, chronic care management, medication refills, mental health services, and psychotherapy.
With COVID-19 infection rates high, many doctors have turned to telemedicine to continue serving their patients while keeping them safe.
“As LGBTQ people navigate life in the time of COVID-19, the need for continuity in health care access is more important than ever,” said Marcos Garcia, HRC Associate Director of the Healthcare Equality Project. “The ongoing pandemic has exacerbated health issues for many in the LGBTQ community, especially for those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including communities of color and people living with HIV and AIDS.”
In order to help the LGBTQ community better understand telemedicine, as well as anyone new to telemedicine, HRC released two resources: an FAQ guide and a brief video overview.
The FAQ guide covers questions about what telemedicine is, what types of care you can receive, insurance coverage, availability, and how to get started. Anyone that is struggling to find health care or health-related resources during this time can also find HRC’s comprehensive list of COVID-19 resources here.