Given the importance of the 340B program to both HIV treatment and prevention in the United States, we are pleased that you are taking steps to improve the integrity and stability of the program. While the program has grown in recent years, we believe Congress should take steps now to ensure the 340B program works as intended and any abuses are addressed in order to ensure that the 340B program will be on solid ground and available in the future.
House testimony on FY24 appropriations for HIV and hepatitis programs
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.
Comments on Medicare national coverage determination for long-acting injectable PrEP
On behalf of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, an organization dedicated to promoting quality and affordable healthcare for people living with or at risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other serious and chronic health conditions, we thank you for this opportunity to comment on a National Coverage Determination (NCD) by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the use of provider-administered pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The first provider-administered medication for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (Apretude or cabotegravir as PrEP) was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January 2022. In August 2022, we wrote to you on behalf of 64 organizations to request that CMS quickly and efficiently evaluate provider-administered PrEP for a National Coverage Determination, which is the only pathway to coverage under Medicare Part B. We commend CMS on moving forward with the NCD process and urge CMS to approve the NCD for provider-administered PrEP.
Comments on USPSTF draft research plan on PrEP
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute thanks you for the opportunity to comment on the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Draft Recommendation Statement: Prevention of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection: Preexposure Prophylaxis (PrEP). On October 1, 2022, HIV+Hep submitted a request, supported by 62 additional organizations, asking the USPSTF to update the existing PrEP recommendation to include long-acting injectable PrEP. We commend you for conducting and completing this timely and thorough update.
Letter on MassHealth coverage of long-acting injectable PrEP
A number of Massachusetts-based providers, community-based organizations and clinical sites joined us in writing to you in August 2022 to express our concern that MassHealth had not yet added cabotegravir, a new long-acting injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) to prevent HIV, to its formulary, and to urge MassHealth to make sure it is available without any barriers to access, such as utilization management or prior authorization requirements. (A copy of the August letter is attached.)