HIV+Hep in the News

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Harvard Pilgrim will continue covering HIV drugs, following state investigation

by | Dec 17, 2024

The HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute filed its initial complaint with the bureau in November, alleging that failing to cover the broadly accepted treatment regimens would discourage people with HIV from enrolling in Harvard Pilgrim’s coverage and would violate federal law. The Affordable Care Act mandates that insurers provide “appropriate access to drugs that are included in broadly accepted treatment guidelines and that are indicative of general best practices at the time.”

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Health care advocates accuse Harvard Pilgrim of discrimination against HIV patients in Maine

by | Dec 13, 2024

Several physicians and health care advocates are accusing Harvard Pilgrim of discrimination against HIV patients in Maine and have filed a complaint with the Maine Bureau of Insurance. According to the complaint, Harvard Pilgrim’s plans for 2025 will no longer cover two of four recommended drugs that treat HIV. The complaint said that one drug, Biktarvy, is prescribed to nearly half of all HIV patients in the U.S.

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Health advocates say private insurance companies in Minnesota are discriminating against HIV patients

by | Dec 5, 2024

In Minnesota for 2025, private insurance companies have put most HIV medicine on the highest tier. Carl Schmid said this can deter people away from applying for a health plan. “Because it’s on a high tier it’s like $700 in some of the plans, so you could be paying the insurance company more than what they’re paying for the drug,” he said. According to the ACA, health insurance companies cannot discriminate based on a person’s health.

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HIV/AIDS advocates fret about potential cuts under GOP trifecta

by | Dec 4, 2024

Carl Schmid, a gay man who is the executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, hopes the federal initiative to end HIV transmissions will be spared. “It will take the collective action by the HIV community, state, local, and federal governments, businesses, and others to end HIV,” he stated. “Now is not the time to retreat. On the contrary, we must sustain and accelerate the progress made under both the Trump and Biden administrations.”

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Resolving to mobilize against the worst

by | Dec 2, 2024

I’m worried. I don’t have the answers at this point. I don’t think they’re going to kill Medicaid or the ACA but they may seriously cut or change it, such as giving states capped block grants for Medicaid, which would end guaranteed benefits, which a lot of people living with HIV rely on. I’m also worried about cuts to the CDC, the NIH and Ryan White. The Trump administration will propose these things and it’s up to Congress to decide them, so we’re going to have to take our voice and our message to Capitol Hill. Reach out via email, phone or office visit to your congressmembers to tell them why HIV treatment and prevention is so important to you. And definitely reach out to your local AIDS services organization or a similar group to see if you can plug into their federal- and state-level advocacy efforts. I’m expecting the worst—and we just have to work together for the better.

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