Callen-Lorde celebrates Biden administration’s proposed PrEP ruling to widen access
On Oct. 21, the Biden administration issued a proposed rule that would require health insurers to cover injectable forms of PrEP, medication that can prevent transmission of HIV. The ruling, if it goes forward, would be a significant step in widening access to breakthrough prevention methods that have the potential to jumpstart efforts to end the HIV epidemic.
Until recently PrEP has only been available as an oral medication that individuals must take each day. This can make it difficult for patients to comply with their medication schedules. Additionally, federal research shows that fewer Black and Latinx individuals who are eligible for PrEP are able to get prescriptions—making access a core issue for the communities Callen-Lorde cares for.
Long-acting forms of PrEP reduce many of the barriers to remaining on PrEP by reducing the number of times a prescription must be filled and eliminating daily pill burdens. Current durations are two months, but studies are showing 100% efficacy with durations as long as six months – meaning a person can be protected from HIV infection with just two injections per year! These longer duration options are expected to approved by the FDA in the first half of 2025.
Biden’s ruling would mandate that insurers cover these long-acting injectables without cost-sharing and other payer barriers. For example, insurers cannot require that a person first try pill versions and only access long-actings when pills are determined to be inappropriate. By protecting patient choice, the Biden administration is greatly expanding access.
The proposal is the latest federal step forward in the fight to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic—a fight Callen-Lorde has been at the forefront of for decades. We play a leading role in Ending the Epidemic, the CDC’s campaign to prevent HIV across the country. We also play a leading role in New York itself, serving more than 4,000 patients living with HIV and providing 15% of the state’s PrEP prescriptions as the largest non-hospital-based HIV service provider in the city.
Callen-Lorde strives to offer our patients the latest in prevention and use the expertise of our leaders, some of whom have experienced the epidemic from the beginning, to raise awareness of the transformative potential og long-acting PrEP.
To that end, our CEO Patrick McGovern offered his voice to a Gay City News article on the proposed ruling, showcasing his deep knowledge of the issue and advocating for accessible PrEP to help our communities.
“This rule is incredibly consequential, and we’re really happy to see it from the federal government,” he said. ““Even now, with the duration of two months of protection with an intramuscular injection, the demand has been much higher than we anticipated. The demand is just going to increase exponentially.”
At Callen-Lorde we believe that long-acting PrEP is the key tool that will end the epidemic. While we’ve never had that tool so readily accessible, this proposed ruling would change everything and make it easier for us to achieve our mission and provide care to vulnerable patients who rely on us to stay healthy. We plan to ramp up a marketing campaign to educate New Yorkers about the benefits of injectable PrEP moving forward. It will target young Black and Latino gay men and transgender folks who are disproportionately at risk for contracting HIV—and who we strive to serve every day.
To read more about the potential ruling, head to the Gay City News article here. To read more about Callen-Lorde’s history and advocacy programs, check out this page.