The law is very clear that people who have special medical needs, including those with a serious or complex medical condition, are statutorily exempt from the community engagement requirement. People living with HIV have a lifelong serious and complex medical condition and have special medical needs—they cannot stay healthy without continuous access to lifesaving HIV treatment. Any gap will put them at risk of serious health consequences. We are disappointed that the Trump administration ignored the law and, while they agree that HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis are serious or complex medical conditions, they are proposing that states will have to determine for every individual if their health is impaired and that they can’t comply with the work requirement. This added requirement was not in the law and puts the health of people living with HIV and viral hepatitis at risk.
New CDC HIV surveillance report demonstrates national response must be accelerated
This data demonstrates that we are not making significant progress in reducing HIV in the United States and efforts to end HIV, unfortunately, remain stalled. Without a jumpstart of resources and a renewed national commitment and leadership by public officials across the country, we are destined to continue to fall short in meeting our goals.
Trump budget proposes over $1.5 billion cut to domestic HIV programs
Congress rejected these massive attacks on HIV prevention last year and we will urge them to do the same again this year. While we are reassured that over 600,000 low-income people currently accessing care and treatment through the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and those using PrEP programs in community health centers can maintain their services, the dismantling of HIV prevention and surveillance and other programs will just lead to more HIV infections and higher health costs down the road.
Trump administration fails to take steps to lower patient costs for prescription drugs
In the 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters rule proposed today, the administration failed to include promised new regulations on whether copay assistance will count towards patient cost-sharing. “Every day this rule is delayed is another day that insurers and PBMs are pocketing billions of dollars meant for patients who are struggling to afford their drugs,” commented Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. “We know that President Trump is squarely focused on drug affordability, and while we are extremely disappointed that this simple step was not yet taken, we urge the administration to act in the very near future.”
TrumpRx Shakes Up Drug Pricing by Bypassing Middlemen
Today marks a monumental step in transforming drug pricing and making prescription drugs more affordable for the American people, particularly for those without insurance. For those who do have insurance, TrumpRx may not always be the best option. We hope consumers clearly understand this and urge the Trump administration to expand the site and work with insurers so that TrumpRx payments are counted by insurers. Frankly, if people who have health insurance are using TrumpRx, it demonstrates that the insurer is failing to meet the needs of its paying consumers.