Medicare Part D Protects HIV People But Trump of Coarse Want to Eliminate That..The Wall is More Important
Protect Medicare Part D, Protect People Living with HIV
The Trump Administration has proposed new changes to the Medicare Part D program that threaten to take away access to healthcare for people living with HIV who rely on program for their essential, life-saving medications. This risks rolling back the clock on our progress to end the nation’s HIV epidemic.
The new rule would eliminate essential protections afforded to six classes of drugs in Medicare Part D plans. Referred to as the six protected classes, these protections were created to ensure enrollees living with serious, chronic and – in the case of HIV — infectious health conditions could directly access any treatment that their doctor believes will best treat their condition, without interference from insurance companies. This has helped save and improve countless lives.
The Trump Administration claims that this proposal is designed to bring drug costs down, but evidence suggests that it would actually raise them. A recent study found that restricting access to HIV treatment regimens creates higher costs overall due to increased medical costs later. Access to these treatments is literally a matter of life and death.
Everyone can agree that drug pricing is an issue that needs to be addressed, but we cannot sacrifice access to essential treatments in the process, especially for our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
If implemented, the proposed rule would give insurance companies tremendous power to restrict people’s access to life-saving HIV medicines. It would give them the authority to come between patients and their doctors, letting them determine what treatment plans are available for people living with HIV. The rule would permit insurers to require prior authorization and step therapy — strategies for reducing drug utilization that we know are both bad health care and dangerous for both patients and public health. We’ve seen what happens when insurers have this kind of power – people lose access to the treatments they need. And people die.
Medicare Part D protects access to new and improved HIV treatments for anyone enrolled in Part D plans, ensuring that enrollees living with HIV can always access the treatment their doctor deems best for them. These protections save lives and have helped put us on a path toward ending the domestic HIV epidemic.
We need to stop this dangerous policy.
The new rule would eliminate essential protections afforded to six classes of drugs in Medicare Part D plans. Referred to as the six protected classes, these protections were created to ensure enrollees living with serious, chronic and – in the case of HIV — infectious health conditions could directly access any treatment that their doctor believes will best treat their condition, without interference from insurance companies. This has helped save and improve countless lives.
The Trump Administration claims that this proposal is designed to bring drug costs down, but evidence suggests that it would actually raise them. A recent study found that restricting access to HIV treatment regimens creates higher costs overall due to increased medical costs later. Access to these treatments is literally a matter of life and death.
Everyone can agree that drug pricing is an issue that needs to be addressed, but we cannot sacrifice access to essential treatments in the process, especially for our nation’s most vulnerable populations.
If implemented, the proposed rule would give insurance companies tremendous power to restrict people’s access to life-saving HIV medicines. It would give them the authority to come between patients and their doctors, letting them determine what treatment plans are available for people living with HIV. The rule would permit insurers to require prior authorization and step therapy — strategies for reducing drug utilization that we know are both bad health care and dangerous for both patients and public health. We’ve seen what happens when insurers have this kind of power – people lose access to the treatments they need. And people die.
Medicare Part D protects access to new and improved HIV treatments for anyone enrolled in Part D plans, ensuring that enrollees living with HIV can always access the treatment their doctor deems best for them. These protections save lives and have helped put us on a path toward ending the domestic HIV epidemic.
We need to stop this dangerous policy.
In the News
San Francisco AIDS Foundation: Allowing Insurers to Dictate Therapies Harms People Living with HIV
The Charlotte Observer: Trump administration proposal threatens HIV patients
New York Times: Trump Pledged to End H.I.V. But His Policies Veer the Other Way
The Detroit News Opinion: Threats to Medicare continue in 2019
POLITICO Pulse: How HHS is navigating the minefield facing HIV plan
Modern Healthcare: Trump's call to end HIV epidemic hindered by his administration's policies
Daily News: Want to end HIV/AIDS, President Trump? Look to New York, and stop undermining access to care
Associated Press: Trump launching campaign to end HIV epidemic in US by 2030
Associated Press: Trump launching campaign to end HIV epidemic in US by 2030
Morning Consult: Opinion: We’ve Seen the Height of the HIV Epidemic. We Can’t Let Trump Take Us Back
Dallas Voice: Opinion: First, do no harm
Evening Standard: State of the Union highlights 2019: five key points to take from Donald Trump's speech
The Sun Sentinel: Florida cannot afford empty promises to end HIV
The Miami Herald: Trump wants to end HIV transmission by 2030. That means, he should withdraw proposal that undercuts treatment.
Washington Blade: The struggle to maintain access to lifesaving HIV meds
Comments