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

Washington, DC – In reaction to the release today by the USPSTF of its updated “A”-rating for PrEP, which are drugs that prevent HIV, Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute issued the following statement:

“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. 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. With PrEP uptake deeply lagging in Black and Latino communities compared to Whites, long-acting PrEP can be a game-changer. Now we urge the federal government to immediately issue guidance to direct insurers to cover all forms of PrEP without cost-sharing.  It took two years after the initial 2019 USPSTF PrEP recommendation for the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO) to issue coverage guidance to insurers. That delay helped lead to many PrEP users being charged cost-sharing by insurers, a situation that still continues today. People seeking PrEP must not face any additional barriers as they seek to access the form of PrEP that best meets their individual needs.”

In October 2021, the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute submitted a request, supported by 62 organizations, asking the USPSTF to update the existing PrEP recommendation to include long-acting injectable PrEP.  In January 2023, we submitted comments on the draft recommendation. 

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The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute is a national, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote quality and affordable healthcare for people living with or at risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other serious and chronic health conditions.