Following Rep. Schiff, Sen. Smith’s Urging, CMS to Expand PrEP Coverage Under Medicare
Washington, D.C.— Following Representative Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Senator Tina Smith’s (D-Minn.) urging, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will expand coverage and eliminate all out-of-pocket costs for Pre-exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) under Medicare. PrEP is a preventive treatment for individuals at risk of contracting HIV, consisting of a pill or injection that is highly effective at preventing the transmission of the virus to individuals who have been exposed to HIV.
Schiff and Smith have continually pushed CMS to make this change to ensure broader access to life-saving medications that help prevent HIV infection.
“I applaud CMS for heeding our calls to make these life saving medications affordable for all who are covered under Medicare,” said Rep. Schiff. “This is a significant step forward in our efforts to fight against HIV, but our work is far from over. We’ll keep pushing the federal government to provide comprehensive access to PrEP which is essential medicine to ending the HIV epidemic.”
Earlier this year, Schiff and Smith introduced the PrEP Access and Coverage Act, landmark legislation aimed at expanding access to PrEP by eliminating insurance barriers, reducing out-of-pocket costs, and providing funding for essential education and outreach efforts.
Read the final CMS decision here.
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