Read other letters about this article
Is asking patients' sexual orientation standard practice in some health plans? I can't recall ever being asked to answer that question, but maybe Beiler's health plan has a different policy.
No, they don't ask directly but it's standard on intake forms to inquire the following-- "are you sexually active, if yes, what birth control do you use?"
How do you think lesbians answer? I personally write "yes" and "n/a, female partner." (Once I wrote "n/a" without an explanation but the doctor asked how one prevents pregnancy without some form of birth control. So it comes up one way or another.)
So, yeah, odds are it's in her medical history.
As for the suing issue, I'm not sure I would sue as much as I would pitch a fit but I can understand why someone would.