These benefit designs, which discourage enrollment by Iowans living with HIV, are plainly discriminatory. We urge the Iowa Insurance Division, which reviews, approves, and regulates Marketplace plans in Iowa, to take immediate action against Medica for offering these substandard plans that violate the ACA and its implementing regulations. We urge you to ensure that these violations are rectified before the new plan year begins.
HIV+Hep & RIPHI & Open Door Health complaint on substandard & discriminatory HIV medication coverage by Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare in Rhode Island
HIV+Hep, Rhode Island Public Health Institute, and Open Door Health are writing to express our concern about substandard, discriminatory coverage of HIV treatment medications by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health plans that use its 2025 “Core 5 Tier” formulary in Rhode Island. These plans do not meet the regulatory standards for formulary adequacy in CFR 156.122 (a)(3)(iii)(H) by failing to cover treatment regimens recommended in broadly accepted treatment guidelines and that are indicative of clinical best practice, thereby discouraging enrollment by people living with HIV.
New Hampshire letter on substandard & discriminatory HIV medication coverage & plan design by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute is writing to express our concern about substandard, discriminatory coverage of HIV treatment medications by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health plans that use its 2025 “Core 4 Tier” and “Core 5 Tier” formularies in New Hampshire. These plans do not meet the regulatory standards for formulary adequacy in CFR 156.122 (a)(3)(iii)(H) by failing to cover treatment regimens recommended in broadly accepted treatment guidelines and that are indicative of clinical best practice, thereby discouraging enrollment by people living with HIV.
Maine letter on substandard & discriminatory HIV medication coverage & plan design by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
We, the undersigned organizations and individuals, are writing to express our concern about substandard, discriminatory coverage of HIV treatment medications by Harvard Pilgrim Health Care health plans that use its 2025 “Core 5 Tier” formulary in Maine. These plans do not meet the regulatory standards for formulary adequacy in CFR 156.122 (a)(3)(iii)(H) by failing to cover treatment regimens recommended in broadly accepted treatment guidelines and that are indicative of clinical best practice, thereby discouraging enrollment by people living with HIV.[1]
Comments on 2026 draft letter to issuers in the federally-facilitated exchanges
In our comments we reiterate our profound disappointment with CCIIO and state regulators for not enforcing the strong ACA nondiscrimination patient protections, including a prohibition on adverse tiering in drug formularies and the requirement to cover the drugs included in widely accepted treatment guidelines. We also outline a number of recent examples by insurers, including some new ones, that either CCIIO or states are permitting to operate that do not protect the interests of people living with HIV since they market discriminatory benefit plans designs.