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.
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.
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