CareSource Addresses LGBTQA+ Housing Social Determinants of Health Barriers

CareSource is providing $1 million in funds to a large nonprofit senior living organization in Ohio to create a residential community specifically designed for LGBTQA+ individuals and allies in an effort to reduce social determinants of health barriers and discrimination.

The payer’s partner, United Church Homes, is the twenty-first biggest multisite nonprofit senior living organization. The organization runs over 80 retirement homes housing more than 5,500 residents across fourteen states and two Native American nations.

“Providing opportunities to live your best life is important to CareSource,” Erhardt Preitauer, president and chief executive officer of CareSource, said in the press release. “We hope this financial support enables United Church Homes to positively enrich the lives of both the LGBTQA+ community as well as the neighborhood where it is being developed.”

The new residential community, which will be called the Longfellow Commons Community, will be located in Dayton, Ohio, a city which has been ranked as one of the top ten cities for LGBTQA+ seniors to retire. The development location was formerly the site of Longfellow School on Salem Avenue, which has been closed for the past five years.

When construction is complete, the Longfellow Commons Community will comprise an apartment building and community spaces. The apartment building will have 126 units and will be designed for individuals ages 55 and older.

In the press release United Church Homes cited data from SAGE to explain why LGBTQ+ housing is so critical. The senior population that identifies as LGBTQ+ is growing: researchers expect this community to swell to 7 million individuals by 2030. But as this population expands and seeks housing, members face strong resistance. Nearly half of all LGBTQ+ couples face discrimination when searching for housing (48 percent).

“We consider it an honor to partner with CareSource who shares our passion for this unique project and has come alongside in support with meaningful resources to help make it a reality,” Rev. Kenneth Daniel, president and chief executive officer for United Church Homes, added in the press release. “This project will have wide-ranging appeal to older adults in the Dayton area and beyond who desire to live in an intentionally inclusive, safe and welcoming community.”

United Church Homes added that LGBTQ+ community members experience higher rates of physical and mental health challenges than their heterosexual counterparts.

Separate research shows that LGBT Medicaid beneficiaries had higher rates of negative experiences with providers and more unmet behavioral health needs than their heterosexual counterparts. That being said, the rate of access to care was similar between LGBT individuals and heterosexual individuals as well as between LGBT Medicaid beneficiaries and individuals with private payer coverage.

Additionally, while a third of LGBTQ+ individuals reported that insurance coverage is improving for this community, 60 percent said they are unsure about whether their gender-affirming medications will be covered. Additionally, three in ten face medical debts that exceed $1,000.

Payers have taken various approaches to resolving challenges that LGBTQ+ community members face in the healthcare system. In addition to providing housing like CareSource, other payers have started Medicare Advantage plans specifically designed for LGBTQ+ seniors. SCAN Health Plan launched its Medicare Advantage health plan for LGBTQ+ seniors during the 2023 Medicare open enrollment season.