HIV+Hep in the News

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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC accused of discrimination over pricing of HIV drugs.

by | Sep 7, 2023

NC Blue Cross Blue Shield made widely prescribed HIV drugs unaffordable by placing them on higher-priced drug tiers. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute’s Carl Schmid: “That’s exactly the opposite of what we want. We want people with HIV to get the drugs they need to become virally suppressed and healthy. When they don’t get the drugs they need, they become sick and can pass on the virus to other people as well. This is a wakeup call not just for HIV drugs but for other drugs as well that other people rely on. Insurers just can’t do this.”

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Blue Cross NC removes HIV drugs from costly price tiers

by | Sep 6, 2023

“While pleased to see this dramatic turnaround by the insurer, blatant discriminatory plan design and violation of the ACA’s patient protections should not happen in the first place,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Insurers seem to try to get away with as much as they can until they are caught. For insurance to work for patients, we need better federal and state regulation, oversight, and enforcement. A drug formulary with adverse tiering should never be approved.”

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Formulary changes by BCBS NC will reduce HIV, generic drug costs

by | Sep 1, 2023

HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute Executive Director Carl Schmid is hopeful Blue Cross NC’s decision will serve as a wake-up call for other insurers to adjust their formularies in a non-discriminatory manner, but he told Inside Drug Pricing that more complaints may need to be filed and consumers will need to be careful when selecting health plans for 2024. “While pleased to see this dramatic turnaround by the insurer, blatant discriminatory plan design and violation of the ACA’s patient protections should not happen in the first place,” Schmid said in a statement. “Insurers seem to try to get away with as much as they can until they are caught. For insurance to work for patients, we need better federal and state regulation, oversight, and enforcement. A drug formulary with adverse tiering should never be approved.”

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Action Alert: HIV Leaders to Meet at Capitol Hill to #SaveHIVFunding

by | Sep 1, 2023

“Given that the House version of the bill includes sizeable funding cuts, program eliminations and divisive policy riders, we realize passage of [the Senate] spending bill is far from reality,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, when the bills were passed in July. “Republicans must come to the table and support bills, such as this one, that can pass the Congress and be signed by the president.”

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Panel’s endorsement paves the way for insurance coverage of injectable PrEP

by | Aug 29, 2023

The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, which is a national non-profit working to promote affordable and quality care for people living with or at risk of HIV and hepatitis, also praised the “A” rating nearly two years after the organization led 62 other groups in asking the panel to recommend injectable PrEP. “Including a long-acting drug as part of the USPSTF PrEP recommendation is an important step in improving HIV prevention efforts in the United States,” Carl Schmid, executive director, said in a written statement. “While daily oral PrEP is highly effective, adherence can be an issue. That is why the FDA called long-acting PrEP superior to daily oral PrEP.”

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