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The U.S Department of Health and Human Services has just announced a plan to make HIV prevention medication free to people without insurance. It is important that Pre-exposure prophylaxis is the lone prevention treatment for people susceptible to HIV infection. But, it is terribly expensive in the United States, especially for people without insurance or on high-deductible health plans. The new strategy from President Donald Trump is considered phase one to end the United States’ HIV epidemic by 2030. The HHS officials issued a press release on Tuesday that people will be able to obtain the PrEP (Pre-exposure prophylaxis) medications at more than 21,000 combined CVS Health, Walgreens and Rite Aid locations, and companies that donated their services in “recognizing the importance” of expanded PrEP access before March 2020.

It is noteworthy that at least 38,000 Americans were newly infected with HIV in 2018. A 2018 analysis by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says only a small percentage of people susceptible to the virus use PrEP. HHS Secretary Alex Azar said the plan will be understood as one of the major public health initiatives of the 21st century. The health department estimates that more than 200,000 people are susceptible to HIV infection and uninsured. They can get benefit from the program. Gilead Sciences is supplying the medication as part of its March agreement with HHS, in spite of its ongoing legal disputes with the federal health wing.

The company is donating enough medication to supply 200,000 individuals annually until 2030. It covers the potential reach of the HHS program. The HHS sued Gilead for infringing on U.S patents related to PrEP in the month of November. The company sells only FDA-approved PrEP regimen at the lofty sticker price of 20,000 USD/ year. Patients must test negative for HIV through a lab test they will likely have to pay for, to qualify for the program. They also need a prescription from a doctor. A visit to a primary care doctor is about 160 USD without insurance, with some variation among states. HHS also said that people can find out if they qualify by visiting GetYourPrEP.com or calling toll-free 855-447-8410. The CDC estimates that at least 1 million Americans are at-risk for HIV, but only 90,000 total PrEP prescriptions were filled in commercial pharmacies in 2015.