THE HIV AND HEPATITIS POLICY INSTITUTE

HIV: HIV+HEP CARRIED OUT ACTIVITIES THAT ADVANCE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE HIV PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, INCLUDING THE RYAN WHITE HIV/AIDS PROGRAM AND THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION HIV DIVISION. AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO FOCUS ON ACTIVITIES TO END HIV IN THE UNITED STATES, HIV+HEP PARTICIPATED IN ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS AND POLICIES TO ACHIEVE THE GOALS OF THE INITIATIVE. ONE AREA OF FOCUS WAS PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS (PREP), A DRUG THAT PREVENTS HIV, INCLUDING PRIVATE INSURANCE COVERAGE, ZERO PATIENT COST-SHARING OBLIGATIONS BY INSURERS, AND THE CREATION OF A NATIONAL PREP PROGRAM. WE CONTINUED TO ENGAGE A MODELING FIRM TO UPDATE THE IMPACT ON REDUCING HIV INFECTIONS BASED ON USING AN INCREASED UPTAKE OF LONG-ACTING VERSUS ORAL DRUGS. WE ALSO RESPONDED TO MANY COMPLAINTS BY PREP USERS WHO WERE BEING ILLEGALLY CHARGED COST-SHARING FOR PREP OR THE ASSOCIATED LABS AND HELPED THEM WITH THEIR INSURERS AND REGULATORS. WE BROUGHT THIS ONGOING ISSUE TO POLICYMAKERS AND THE MEDIA. WE ALSO MONITORED A LEGAL CASE THAT CHALLENGED THE PREVENTIVE SERVICES COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS INCLUDED IN THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT AND SUBMITTED AN AMICUS BRIEF THAT OVER 30 HIV AND HEPATITIS ORGANIZATIONS SIGNED ONTO. HIV+HEP WORKED TO ENSURE ACCESS TO ALL ANTIRETROVIRALS TO TREAT HIV IN THE MEDICARE PART D PROGRAM AND THE PRIVATE INSURANCE MARKET. WE REVIEWED INSURANCE BENEFIT DESIGN TO ENSURE PLANS WERE COMPLIANT WITH THE ACA. AS PART OF ALL ITS WORK IT ENSURED THAT THE POLICIES AND PROGRAM BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE HIGHLY IMPACTED BY HIV INCLUDING GAY MEN, TRANSGENDER WOMEN, BLACKS AND LATINOS, DRUG USERS, AND THE POOR. HIV+HEP SPOKE AT NUMEROUS HIV MEETINGS AND WEBINARS, SUBMITTED PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY, ISSUED PRESS RELEASES, RESPONDED TO MEDIA INQUIRIES, AND CONDUCTED OTHER MEDIA ACTIVITIES. THIS WORK WAS CONDUCTED ON ITS OWN AND IN COALITION WITH OTHERS, INCLUDING THE WORKGROUPS OF THE FEDERAL AIDS POLICY PARTNERSHIP.

HEPATITIS: HIV+HEP CARRIED OUT ACTIVITIES THAT ADVANCE POLICIES AND PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION AND TREATMENT, INCLUDING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION VIRAL HEPATITIS DIVISION. THE PRINCIPAL FOCUS OF HIV+HEP'S ACTIVITIES WAS TO ENSURE THERE ARE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES FOR STATES AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS TO OFFER HEPATITIS TESTING, CONDUCT SURVEILLANCE, AND LINK PEOPLE WITH HEPATITIS TO HEALTHCARE AND THE TREATMENT THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN THEIR HEALTH OR IN THE CASE OF HEPATITIS C, TO BE CURED. HIV+HEP OFFERED COMMENTS ON THE ADMINISTRATION'S PROPOSAL TO END HEPATITIS C. HIV+HEP SUBMITTED PUBLIC COMMENTS AND TESTIMONY, ISSUED PRESS RELEASES, RESPONDED TO MEDIA INQUIRIES AND CONDUCTED OTHER MEDIA ACTIVITIES. SINCE MANY PEOPLE IMPACTED BY HEPATITIS ARE INJECTED DRUGS USERS, HIV+HEP ALSO FOCUSED ON THEIR NEEDS AND OTHERS ASSOCIATED WITH THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC. THIS WORK WAS CONDUCTED ON ITS OWN AND IN COALITION WITH OTHERS, INCLUDING THE HEPATITIS APPROPRIATIONS COALITION.