Testimony, Comments, & Letters

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.

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ABAC letter on the importance of federal programs and funding for ending HIV in the United States

AIDS Budget and Appropriations Coalition cochairs the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, The AIDS Institute, NASTAD, and AIDS United wrote to the House Appropriations and Senate Appropriations Committees: “While we still do not have a cure or a vaccine, we have the science and tools to eventually end HIV in the U.S. through science-based prevention & treatment progs. However, public health progs across the country must have the sufficient funding and proper policies in place.”

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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.

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Letter in support for Utah SB 184, Prescription Cost Amendments

We strongly support SB 184, Prescription Cost Amendments, which would require health insurers to accept and count payments made on behalf of patients towards deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. We thank you for holding a hearing on this important issue and ask that you consider and pass the bill.

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Comments in support of adding HIV to Medicare medication therapy management

We offer our strong support of adding HIV/AIDS as one of the chronic conditions to be included in the Medicare Part D Medication Therapy Management (MTM) program. The MTM program is designed to assure, with respect to targeted beneficiaries, that covered Part D drugs are appropriately used to optimize therapeutic outcomes through improved medication use, and to reduce the risk of adverse events, including adverse drug interactions.

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