Key Issues
Mission Statement: to promote quality and affordable healthcare for people living with or at risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other serious and chronic health conditions.
HIV
Promote necessary funding, programs, and policies to end the HIV epidemic in the United States
Funding
Ensure there is necessary federal funding for domestic HIV programs including Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, CDC HIV Prevention (including School and Adolescent Health), NIH AIDS Research, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA), Minority AIDS Initiative, sexual education and other programs included in the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative such as Community Health Centers and the Indian Health Service.
Programs and Policies
Ensure that federal HIV programs and policies support the needs of people living with and at risk of HIV and are administered and delivered free of discrimination and stigma, fully engage relevant communities, and meet the needs of state and local communities, and allow them to best meet the goals of ending the HIV initiative, including increased HIV prevention, HIV screening, and linkage to care and treatment in order to achieve sustainable viral suppression. Ensure that funding is distributed equitably and used efficiently in order to maximally impact positive health outcomes.
Viral Hepatitis
Promote necessary funding, programs, and policies to end viral hepatitis in the United States
Funding
Ensure there is necessary federal funding for domestic viral hepatitis programs including CDC Hepatitis Prevention and others necessary to end hepatitis B and C in the United States, including those related to infectious diseases associated with the opioid epidemic.
Programs and Policies
Ensure that federal viral hepatitis programs and policies support the needs of people living with and at risk of hepatitis and are administered and delivered free of discrimination and stigma, fully engage relevant communities and meet the needs of state and local communities, and allow them to best meet the goals of ending hepatitis by increased hepatitis prevention, hepatitis screening, and linkage to care and treatment, including curative treatments. Ensure that funding is distributed equitably and used efficiently in order to maximally impact positive health outcomes.
Healthcare Access
Promote programs and policies that provide healthcare to people with HIV, hepatitis, and other serious and chronic conditions
Programs
Ensure that people with and at risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other serious and chronic health conditions have access to comprehensive, quality, and affordable healthcare that includes preventive services, including private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and other forms of health coverage.
Policies
Ensure that healthcare programs are patient-focused so that people can receive the quality care and treatment prescribed by their provider at a cost they can afford.
Get Involved
Facebook posts by @HIV+Hep
The HIV and Hepatitis Policy Institute in Axios: “In the U.S., most private health #insurance plans must cover #PrEP without #costsharing, but more federal guidance is needed to make sure plans cover both pills & injectables without #priorauth”: bit.ly/4eVnlg9
Biden-Harris Administration Sides with Insurers & Fails to Issue Promised Copay Assistance Rule to Lower Patient Costs for Prescription Drugs.
hivhep.org
Washington DC... In a shock to patients who are struggling to afford their prescription medications, the Biden-Harris administration has failed—again—to take steps to lower how much Americans pay ...
See our recent opinion piece in the Blade urging the Biden Harris Administration to issue guidance to insurers to ensure that long-acting PrEP is covered without co-pays just like daily oral PrEP.
Biden-Harris must ensure access to HIV prevention drugs
www.washingtonblade.com
The Biden-Harris administration has a historic opportunity to help end HIV. New, cutting-edge drugs that prevent HIV are hitting the . . .
HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, an advocacy group, criticized the proposed rule’s impact on patients, saying the government is still letting pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) profit from copay assistance. The rule included no requirements that copay assistance be counted as part of patient cost-sharing, and no provision closing an essential health benefits loophole.![]()
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“Coming from an administration that prides itself on supporting patients and lowering their prescription drug costs, this is a huge disappointment,” said Carl Schmid, executive director at the institute. “While they have gone on record that they will issue these rules, the clock is ticking and there isn’t much time left.”![]()
CMS proposes risk adjustment changes, broker fraud crackdown for 2026 plan year
www.fiercehealthcare.com
A proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released Oct. | CMS is looking to shake up the risk adjustment model and wants the ability to suspend shady brokers from the ins...
Surprise! The Copay for PrEP Just Disappeared
www.medpagetoday.com
Medicare's decision to cover all PrEP drugs under Part B has unexpected benefit for enrollees