“While we appreciate the proposed continued funding of domestic HIV and hepatitis programs and acknowledge the legislatively imposed budget constraints and competing priorities, the reality is that, without serious increases, our nation cannot meet its goals to end the HIV and hepatitis epidemics on time,” commented Carl Schmid, Executive Director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Now, we must take our case for any funding increases to Congress, which has found it difficult to agree on spending bills, and House Republicans have even proposed to cut domestic HIV spending this year by $767 million.”
Nation must do better in ensuring patients receive hepatitis C curative drugs
“This situation is completely unacceptable. We have a cure for a serious infectious disease, but people who have taken the time to get tested and know they have hepatitis C are not being cured,” commented Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “The vast majority of these people have health coverage but payers such as private insurers, state Medicaid programs, and Medicare are erecting barriers to patient access by not covering medications or requiring cumbersome prior authorizations or imposing high patient cost-sharing. If the federal government is serious about ending hepatitis C, it needs to provide the leadership, particularly at CMS, and address these payer barriers.”
25 HIV and Hepatitis organizations file amicus brief to protect preventive services coverage
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute and 24 other HIV and hepatitis organizations filed an amicus brief in support of the U.S. government in Braidwood Management v. Becerra, the challenge to the ACA’s preventive services coverage requirement, arguing, “A wholesale invalidation of the coverage requirement for USPSTF’s recommendations would strike a critical, unnecessary, and costly blow to the battle to end HIV, hepatitis, and other infectious diseases.”
U.S. government must quickly act to stop Texas court decision on preventive services and PrEP
While not surprised by Judge O’Connor’s decision, which will immediately impact coverage of HIV testing, hepatitis B and C testing, along with PrEP, it is imperative that these critical preventive services must continue for the health of our nation. We expect that the U.S. government will quickly act to stay this decision so that preventive services can continue nationwide, and appeal it.
Biden budget boosts domestic HIV funding & proposes PrEP & Hepatitis C programs
“President Biden’s budget is yet another demonstration of his leadership in ending HIV. He recognizes the historic role the federal government must play, and the investments needed to end infectious diseases, such as HIV and hepatitis C,” commented Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Now, it is essential that Congress works together to ensure it maintains the federal government’s commitment to ending HIV and at the same time, invests the necessary resources to end hepatitis. We also must guard against any erosion in funding of these programs, as some have proposed,” continued Schmid.