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.
Substandard and discriminatory HIV medication coverage and plan design by Community Health Choice Texas
We are writing to express our continuing concern about substandard, discriminatory coverage of HIV treatment medications on Community Health Choice Texas “Premier” and “Select” health insurance plans. As we have previously stated, the formularies for these plans, among other things, do not meet the regulatory standards for formulary adequacy in CFR 156.122 (a)(3)(iii)(H) by failing to cover treatment regimens specified in broadly accepted treatment guidelines and that are indicative of clinical best practice, and by discouraging enrollment by people living with HIV.