We believe policymakers should focus on those issues that directly impact patients, such as PBM regulation and reform, standard plan designs with reasonable deductibles and nominal copays, and ensuring copay assistance counts. We realize that Illinois has taken many of these steps already, and that Illinois policymakers are advocating for change at the national level, too, but more can be done.
On behalf of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, we respectfully submit this testimony in support of H.1085/S.619: An Act to address barriers to HIV prevention medication. We need to ensure that everyone is able to benefit from the results of the latest scientific innovations in HIV prevention. We urge the passage of this important bill to ensure that all Bay Staters using commercial insurance can access PrEP without a financial barrier or delay.
Our nation can eliminate both HIV and viral hepatitis, but without an infusion of new resources to accelerate our efforts, we will continue to fall short of these ambitious goals. Current discussions involving budget caps that reduce non-defense discretionary appropriations would have devastating impacts on our nation’s public health system and our ability to respond to these two infectious diseases.
Our nation can eliminate both HIV and viral hepatitis, but without an infusion of new resources to accelerate our efforts, we will continue to fall short of these ambitious goals. Increased investment in surveillance, education, prevention, and care and treatment will ensure we continue to address HIV and viral hepatitis, including taking a syndemic approach to achieve maximum impact. The programs and funding increases detailed below are pivotal to our nation’s ability to end both these potentially deadly infectious diseases.
HIV+Hep strongly supports the “Copay Accumulator Amendment Act of 2021” (Bill 24-0557) introduced by Chairman Gray and four councilmembers. It simply requires that the copay assistance beneficiaries receive count towards their out-of-pocket obligation. By passing this law, DC will join 14 other states (Arkansas, Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia, and Virginia) and Puerto Rico in protecting consumers by assuring their copay assistance will count towards cost-sharing obligations.