PrEP

From the office of Massachusetts Senate President Karen E. Spilka: Senate passes bill expanding access to HIV prevention drug

“For the first time since PrEP became available eleven years ago, over a third of the people CDC believes could benefit from being on PrEP are being prescribed it. However, there are stark and widening racial, ethnic, and gender disparities in PrEP use in Massachusetts and nationwide,” said Kevin Herwig, Health Policy Manager at HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Allowing pharmacists to prescribe PrEP, as well as to link people with PrEP clinical services and HIV testing, will help remove barriers to getting HIV preventive medication for people and communities who have not yet been able to benefit from the promise of PrEP.  We thank the Senate, Senate President Spilka, Senator Cyr, and others for supporting this important legislation.”

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New CDC PrEP data demonstrates importance of federal funding

“While the data demonstrate progress in PrEP usage, which will translate into fewer new HIV transmissions, the low usage of PrEP among the communities most impacted by HIV points to the need for increased and targeted federal resources,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “Unfortunately, House Republicans have proposed to cut $220 million from CDC’s HIV prevention program and completely eliminate HRSA’s $157 million PrEP program for community health centers. If these cuts were to be realized, instead of reporting on progress, the nation will be experiencing increased new HIV transmissions, which in the long run will cost us more.”

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USPSTF updates PrEP recommendation to include long-acting PrEP to prevent HIV

“The ACA recognized the value of preventive services to individual health, public health, and reducing healthcare costs. They also help identify conditions early on when more can be done to treat them or prevent disease acquisition altogether. Insurers are simply not doing a good job of making it easy for consumers to utilize them and regulators must take action to ensure access to these mandated life-saving services,” said Carl Schmid, Executive Director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute and a Consumer Representative to the NAIC.

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Consumer Representatives to the NAIC call for regulators to shore up ACA preventive services protections

“The ACA recognized the value of preventive services to individual health, public health, and reducing healthcare costs. They also help identify conditions early on when more can be done to treat them or prevent disease acquisition altogether. Insurers are simply not doing a good job of making it easy for consumers to utilize them and regulators must take action to ensure access to these mandated life-saving services,” said Carl Schmid, Executive Director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute and a Consumer Representative to the NAIC.

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House proposes to gut ending HIV programs

“While we appreciate the sustained funding for many domestic HIV and hepatitis programs, we are devastated by the proposal to virtually eliminate the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative,” said Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “We were on a trajectory to end HIV by ensuring all people have access to care and treatment, and prevent new infections through increasing access to PrEP, but now all those efforts will be lost. This bill cannot stand as is.”

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