House Bill 1213 Help Require Health Coverage to treat and prevent HIV!
House Bill 1213 Help Require Health Coverage to treat and prevent HIV!
The Issue
The CDC defines Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as a virus that attacks the body's immune system. There are currently around 40,600 individuals in Pennsylvania living with HIV. There is no cure for HIV, but the treatment reduces the severity of HIV in the body and helps people stay healthy. If it is not treated, it will harm the immune system and put one at risk of developing AIDS. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the final and most severe stage of HIV infection. Treating HIV is vital to prevent AIDS as well as the spread of HIV. With the use of medication, those with the virus can live a life as long as someone who doesn’t have the virus.
Medications are known to be too expensive for the average resident who resides in the Commonwealth. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is meant to be used on an ongoing basis whereas post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is to be used in emergency situations. A 30-day supply of PrEP, a brand-name medication for HIV treatment costs $2,400. This does not include the quarterly lab tests and healthcare provider visits totaling $15,000 per year. The CDC has said that PrEP reduces the risk of HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed. PrEP and PEP are life-saving medications, and it is important that health insurance policies provide coverage for HIV due to the overwhelming number of individuals who are at risk or who are living with this disease. Our mission is to support this bill in order to spread awareness and ultimately have HIV medications, doctor visits, and lab visits covered in health care.
For more information:
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The Issue
The CDC defines Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as a virus that attacks the body's immune system. There are currently around 40,600 individuals in Pennsylvania living with HIV. There is no cure for HIV, but the treatment reduces the severity of HIV in the body and helps people stay healthy. If it is not treated, it will harm the immune system and put one at risk of developing AIDS. Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the final and most severe stage of HIV infection. Treating HIV is vital to prevent AIDS as well as the spread of HIV. With the use of medication, those with the virus can live a life as long as someone who doesn’t have the virus.
Medications are known to be too expensive for the average resident who resides in the Commonwealth. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is meant to be used on an ongoing basis whereas post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is to be used in emergency situations. A 30-day supply of PrEP, a brand-name medication for HIV treatment costs $2,400. This does not include the quarterly lab tests and healthcare provider visits totaling $15,000 per year. The CDC has said that PrEP reduces the risk of HIV from sex by about 99% when taken as prescribed. PrEP and PEP are life-saving medications, and it is important that health insurance policies provide coverage for HIV due to the overwhelming number of individuals who are at risk or who are living with this disease. Our mission is to support this bill in order to spread awareness and ultimately have HIV medications, doctor visits, and lab visits covered in health care.
For more information:
110
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on August 28, 2023