Biden administration takes big step in making drugs affordable for patients: Also strengthens non-discrimination protections

“This is a huge win for patients. Insurers have made it almost impossible for patients to afford their medications by first requiring them to meet a high deductible and then charging high co-insurance, which is a percentage of the list price of the drug. By limiting patient copays and keeping more drugs outside of the deductible, patients will be better able to afford their medications. We only wish the Biden administration would have applied these principles to more metal levels and drug tiers, but this provides better options for people who rely on prescription drugs.”
See the press release

Promoting PrEP and ensuring its coverage and affordability

HIV+Hep’s Carl Schmid spoke at the NMAC’s 2022 Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit on efforts to create a national program to increase the promotion of PrEP to those communities most in need & their providers, ways PrEP can be covered and made more affordable and accessible, implementation barriers and how to overcome them, and ideas on how to provide PrEP for the uninsured & underinsured.
View the presentation

Ending Hepatitis is something we can all do every day

“To end infectious diseases, we always need more scientific advances, but it is going to take a strategic, coordinated, & resourced public health response. Fortunately, we now have national strategic plans to end several infectious diseases including viral hepatitis, HIV, & STIs. A strength included in all the plans is a reliance on taking a syndemic approach to these often intersecting epidemics. Together we can get to the finish line faster.”
See the opinion piece

Biden Budget Boosts Domestic HIV Funding & Proposes Nationwide PrEP Delivery Program: CDC Hepatitis Program Receives Increase

President Biden is proposing an increase of $377 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative for a total of $850 million for efforts to end HIV by 2030. Additionally, in response to the HIV community and several members of Congress’ request to develop a program to increase access to PrEP, which are medications that prevent HIV, the president’s budget calls for the creation of an ambitious ten-year $9.8 billion nationwide PrEP delivery program. The budget includes numerous other program increases, including a bump of $13.5 million for the CDC’s hepatitis division.
See the press release

Congressional Funding Slows for Ending HIV Initiative--Hepatitis Programs Left with a Minimal Increase

“In the omnibus appropriations bill released recently, Congress has significantly slowed the increase of funding for the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative and put in jeopardy efforts to end HIV by 2030. Instead of supporting an increase of $245 million, as was proposed in President Biden’s budget and passed by the House and proposed by Senate Democratic leaders, the final bill allocates an increase of only $70 million for HIV testing, prevention, treatment, and research programs for those jurisdictions most impacted by HIV . . . . The funding level for hepatitis falls well short of the community’s request of $134 million for the CDC Hepatitis Division.”
See the press release

Federal Government Issues Guidance to Insurers on Coverage of HIV Prevention Drugs

The federal government issued guidance to insurers to remind them of their obligation to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which are drugs that prevent HIV, at no cost to their beneficiaries. The guidance, in the form of an FAQ, also clarifies that associated services with PrEP, such as provider visits and HIV, hepatitis, and STD testing along with other laboratory tests, must also be covered with no patient cost-sharing.
See the press release

Who We Are

Monitors policies that impact the prevention and treatment of HIV, viral hepatitis, and other health conditions in the United States.

Communicates with members of the HIV, hepatitis, and other patient group communities on key policy issues that impact their access to healthcare.

Educates policymakers and members of the media about efforts to end both HIV and hepatitis in the United States and to improve access to quality and affordable healthcare for people with or at risk of serious or chronic health conditions.

Causes We Care About, and So Should You!

HIV

Promote necessary funding, programs, and policies to end the HIV epidemic in the United States

HEPATITIS

Promote necessary funding, programs, and policies to end viral hepatitis in the United States

HEALTHCARE ACCESS

Promote necessary funding, programs, and policies to end viral hepatitis in the United States

Learn More

Facebook posts by @HIV+Hep

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute1 day ago

The HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute’s Carl Schmid on HIV.gov: “To end infectious diseases, we always need more scientific advances, but it is going to take a strategic, coordinated, & resourced public health response. Fortunately, we now have nat’l strategic plans to end several infectious...

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
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HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute2 days ago

From NBC News: “Even in the face of the numerous challenges facing the U.S. #HIV fight, the HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute’s Carl Schmid remains adamantly sanguine, keen to see the silver linings. ‘It could’ve been worse,’ he said of the new...

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
The government’s new HIV Surveillance Report has experts worried that the Covid-19 crisis has inflicted collateral damage in the fight against HIV that could cause years to undo.
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HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute3 days ago

In testimony submitted to House Appropriations Committee House Committee on Appropriations - Republicans, the HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute wrote: “Our nation is on a path to eliminating #HIV & viral #hepatitis, but we need ⬆️ $$ to accelerate...

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
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HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute3 days ago

The HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute and Autoimmune Association along with 103 other orgs representing a broad range of #patients across the country, submitted comments to the Federal Trade Commission on the impact of #PBM practices and the ability...

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
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HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute4 days ago

Even in the face of the numerous challenges facing the U.S. HIV fight, Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute in Washington, remains adamantly sanguine, keen to see the silver linings.

“It could’ve been worse,” he said of the...

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
The government’s new HIV Surveillance Report has experts worried that the Covid-19 crisis has inflicted collateral damage on the fight against HIV that could cause years to undo.
   View on Facebook
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute4 days ago

NBC Washington on progress to #endHIV: “#PrEP is #Rx that can be used for #HIV treatment & prevention. Experts say it’s critical to ending the epidemic & helping those infected live healthy lives....

HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute
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Tweets by @HIV+Hep

In reply toHIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute
@HIVHep’s Carl Schmid in @HIVGov: “[W]e now have nat’l strategic plans to end several infectious diseases including viral #hepatitis, #HIV, & STIs. A strength included in all the plans is taking a syndemic approach to these often intersecting epidemics”: https://t.co/9tAbjjeq0u https://t.co/qqVgrHBVCJ
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HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute · 11 hours ago
@HIVHep
Q&A with Antonio Ciaccia of 3 Axis Advisors: ‘PBMs aren’t really PBMs anymore’ https://t.co/WC7KFp220w
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In reply toHIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute
@HIVHep joined 140+ groups to send a letter to @RepMcEachin & @RodneyDavis thanking them for introducing the HELP Copays Act #HR5801. This critical bill will remove barriers to treatment for some of the most vulnerable Americans by making #AllCopaysCount: https://t.co/ZbDXsRYUtt https://t.co/jxtEDdYyoM
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HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute · 1 day ago
@HIVHep
Speaking to @MHExecutive @HIVHep’s Carl Schmid considers how to overcome barriers to #PrEP usage including better education and testing, making sure #PrEP is offered by providers free of charge, and overcoming the stigma still attached to #HIV: https://t.co/3EBcOizIFB. https://t.co/ZEfejHdOzV
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HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute · 1 day ago
@HIVHep
From @medpagetoday: “Copay assistance progs are important to #patients w/ #chronicillness, @HIVHep’s Carl Schmid said. For example, ‘ #HIV #Rx & #hepatitis #Rx are costly & usually on specialty tiers… & more & more people are in high-deductible plans”: https://t.co/3qHIojqE25 https://t.co/axemWU1zrx
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HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute · 1 day ago
@HIVHep
From @NBCNews: despite “numerous challenges facing the U.S. #HIV fight” outlined in the @CDCgov’s latest “HIV Surveillance Report,” @HIVHep’s Carl is optimistic that future reports “will show we are on the right track” w/ ↑ federal #HIV spending: https://t.co/LaRxCtn3u1. https://t.co/bGYv74aabh
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