“We are thrilled that the Court has taken the side of patients who have been struggling to afford their prescription drugs due to the greedy actions of insurers and their PBMs,” Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, said in a statement Monday. “We call on the Biden administration and states to immediately enforce this decision and not take any further steps to undermine the copay assistance that allows patients to access their essential medications.”
Court axes rule that let insurers not count copay assistance toward patient costs
Advocates celebrated the decision as a win for patients, calling on HHS to now enforce the provision in the earlier 2020 exchange rule that had barred most co-pay accumulators and issue new guidance. “We call on the Biden administration and states to immediately enforce this decision and not take any further steps to undermine the copay assistance that allows patients to access their essential medications,” Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV + Hepatitis Policy Institute, said.
Partisanship, Funding And Privacy Concerns Could Obstruct PrEP Access
A lack of funding, fears around data sequestration, and resistance to expanding sexual health measures are all reasons pointing to delays for increasing access to PrEP for uninsured and underinsured patients. While the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) last month made headway for insured patients by giving it an “A” grade, questions remain about access for those without insurance.
Hep C is treatable, but still claiming lives. Can Biden’s 5-year plan eliminate it?
“Unlike HIV, where you have it for the rest of your life, with hepatitis C it’s a very short time frame, just eight to 12 weeks, and you’re cured,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “So why aren’t we doing a better job?”
After backlash, Blue Cross NC lowers out-of-pocket costs on HIV treatments
Thousands of North Carolina residents living with HIV in North Carolina now have lower out-of-pocket expenses after Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina changed its pricing formula for dozens of HIV treatment medications. The move came months after advocates accused the state’s largest health insurer of discriminating against these patients by placing nearly all standard HIV medications in drug tiers with the highest out-of-pocket costs.