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According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, LGBTQ+ Americans are twice as likely to experience discrimination in health care.
The nonprofit is the nation’s leading nonpartisan health policy organization. They released the results of their Racism, Discrimination and Health Survey in 2024, which focused on individuals’ experiences with health care from 2020-2023.
Nearly a quarter of respondents shared that negative experiences led to a decline in their health, something that’s likely to have been impacted even more in the years since. KFF released its Health Policy 101: LGBTQ+ Health Policy report in Oct. 2025 which explains why.
“All people’s health and health care experiences are informed by the socioeconomic context in which they live, including the policy environment,” it reads. “Federal and state policy can facilitate or impede access to health care for LGBTQ+ people.”
KFF specifically notes that the federal government has taken executive action to “limit data collection, lessen civil rights protections, restrict access to care, and remove acknowledgement of diverse sexual and gender identities” since the 2024 election.
That’s paired with “a rapid increase in the number of laws and policies impacting LGBTQ+ people’s health, especially, though not exclusively, that of young people,” KFF notes, something Floridians have experienced in recent years, particularly those who are transgender. Lawmakers passed the state’s largest slate of anti-LGBTQ+ laws in history in 2023.
Advocates say all of this makes prioritizing LGBTQ+-inclusive healthcare essential, services that extend beyond providers and into pharmacies. These partnerships are benefiting patients across Central Florida and Tampa Bay.
Bell Pharmacy is one organization that champions LGBTQ+ health. It opened its St. Petersburg flagship in 2023 to foster “partnerships that ensure access to essential medications without compromising financial stability.”
“When I worked in larger pharmacies, I found that the focus was more on the financial side, the metric side, than it was on the patients,” Bell Pharmacy CEO Dr. Tony Trunzo told Watermark Out News at the time. “We know you by name and we know your needs.”
Bell has since expanded to seven locations across Tampa Bay. Michelle Simmons, part-owner and billing specialist, says that’s because there was a need to do so.
“Bell Pharmacy is what a pharmacy should be,” she explains. “Whether you’re contacting us on the phone, whether you’re coming to see us face to face, whether you see us out in the community, everybody that works for Bell Pharmacy actually cares about the patient as a whole.
“We try to break down every barrier we possibly can that would prevent somebody from getting medication, whether it be pricing or insurance with a copay that is too high, whatever it is,” Simmons continues. “We try to take away those barriers so that everybody has the opportunity to come in and get what they need.”
That includes transgender patients. In addition to working with Tampa Bay’s Inclusive Care Group and other organizations, Bell specifically partnered with the transgender-focused nonprofit Trans Network to launch a Trans Health Fund.
Trans, nonbinary and gender expansive individuals with a Florida prescription can receive free Hormone Replacement Therapy and mental health medications at its St. Petersburg location, or via mail after their original visit.
Elevating trans care was critical “because they’re part of our community — and when you label yourself a community pharmacy, you’re there for everybody in the community,” Simmons says.
“I feel like the transgender community is at the top of the list for whatever’s going on politically … and we’ve seen through partnering with Trans Network just how important it is or these patients to get the medications they need,” she continues. “We also employ a lot of people from the LGBTQ+ community, so when you’re walking in, you do feel like you’re family.”
A number of LGBTQ+-inclusive health care organizations are also working to make a difference for patients through the 340B program. It helps vulnerable communities as a part of the Public Health Service Act, which requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to sell outpatient drugs at discounted prices to eligible healthcare providers.
Metro Healthy Communities uses its own pharmacy in this way. The organization, formerly Metro Inclusive Health, announced its 2025 rebrand to reflect “the most modern-day version” of its 33-year history as “a network of regional health centers creating healthier communities across Tampa Bay.”
Those efforts have helped grow its Copay It Forward program, launched in 2018. It allows insured patients to support those who are uninsured or underinsured by using the Metro Inclusive Health Pharmacy or one of 60+ partner pharmacies.
As a result, a total of $769,244 in free care and services were provided to patients in 2024. Since 2018, Metro says it’s generated more than $2 million in free and reduced-cost healthcare services through the program.
The organization also offers free prescription delivery, copay support and other benefits, complementing the “quality health and wellness services that are comprehensive, relevant, supportive and represent the lifetime continuum of the people in our community.”
“We’ve witnessed first-hand how expanding regional access supports the growth and long-term sustainability of our Copay It Forward model, strengthening care for those in need,” Metro Healthy Communities CEO Priya Rajkumar says.
The LGBT+ Center Orlando opened its own 340B contract pharmacy in 2025, a partnership with NPS Pharmacy. The initiative expanded access to affordable prescriptions and medications for the community that the nonprofit has served for over four decades.
It was an extension of its mission to promote and empower the region’s LGBTQ+ community and its allies through advocacy, education, information and support, CEO George Wallace says.
“The Center was exploring 340B for the past couple years,” he explains. He first connected with NPS during a Dining Out for Life conference, the annual fundraiser which supports local HIV service organizations like The Center.
“I spoke with a few other 340B pharmacy companies and decided that NPS was the best fit,” he says. “They work with other LGBT Centers, so I knew they understood our model and community philosophy.”
“We don’t look or act like any other pharmacy you’ve ever seen, and that’s by design,” the NPS website notes. “Since our beginning in 2001, NPS has been committed to providing unique, tailored and caring service for our customers, taking healthcare and sense of community to the next level.”
Director of Marketing & Communications David Woodell adds that inclusive pharmacies “play a vital role in making healthcare accessible, affirming and safe for everyone. For many members of the LGBTQ+ community, stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings have created real barriers to getting the care they deserve.
“An inclusive pharmacy ensures all patients are treated with dignity and respect. No assumptions and no judgement,” he continues. “Our pharmacists understand diverse health needs, including gender-affirming care, PrEP & HIV treatment, mental health support, chronic condition management, and everything in between. Every patient of NPS Pharmacy should feel seen, supported and cared for.”
Wallace says partnerships like these are crucial for the community.
“Talking to a culturally competent provider openly and freely is important to your overall wellbeing,” he explains. “Orlando has many amazing providers and pharmacies already, and The Center hopes to add to the services we are already offering.
“As one of the largest HIV testers in the region, people are familiar with The Center and trust us,” Wallace continues. “We hope to continue growing our inclusive healthcare options and remain a safe space for the community.”
The partnership marked an expansion into Florida for NPS. Woodell says the company focuses “on the patient’s whole health,” noting that “the patient is more than a prescription — they’re a person.”
“Expanding to Orlando means we can be closer to the people and partners who share our commitment to whole-person care,” he says. “We’re not just filling prescriptions — we’re building relationships, supporting an incredible community center at The Center Orlando as well as local healthcare providers, and helping our Orlando neighbors live healthier, fuller lives.
“This is so important because community care isn’t just a service, it’s part of our mission,” he stresses. “We need this compassionate care now more than ever with everything going on in our country, especially toward LGBTQ+ individuals.”
For more information about services and the locations of Bell Pharmacy, Metro Healthy Communities, the LGBT+ Center Orlando and NPS Pharmacy, visit BellPharmacy.com, MetroTampaBay.org, TheCenterOrlando.org and NPSPharmacy.com.
This story was originally published in Watermark Out News’ 2025 Q-Health Guide. Read the digital edition here.
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