Letter asking Gov. Newsom to sign CA SB1023 to expand access to all forms of PrEP
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Newsom:
The HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute is a national organization promoting quality and affordable healthcare for people living with or at risk of HIV, hepatitis, and other serious and chronic health conditions. We write in strong support of Senate Bill 1023 and respectfully urge you to sign this critical legislation into law.
California has long been a national leader in expanding and protecting access to HIV prevention. However, insurance coverage alone does not guarantee meaningful access. While health plans are already required to cover injectable PrEP, limiting reimbursement to just the medical benefit can make it difficult for some providers, particularly smaller and community-based providers, to offer these medications.
SB 1023 addresses this barrier by requiring insurers to also cover injectable PrEP under the outpatient prescription drug benefit in addition to the medical benefit. This will give providers greater flexibility in obtaining injectable PrEP and expand the settings in which patients can access it.
We strongly believe that access to all forms of PrEP is essential to ending HIV in California. Nearly 5,000 Californians are diagnosed with HIV each year, and persistent disparities underscore the need to ensure access to the full range of HIV prevention options. Patients should be able to choose the PrEP option that works best for them without unnecessary insurance or administrative barriers.
For these reasons, we respectfully urge you to sign Senate Bill 1023 into law.
Sincerely,
Carl E. Schmid II
Executive Director