Health advocates step up pressure on province to cover HIV drug costs – Winnipeg Free Press

Manitoba's health minister has pledged to increase access to HIV prevention and treatment drugs, but there is no word yet on when exactly 100 per cent coverage will be achieved in the province.

Cost barriers remain for Manitobans who need medication to prevent or treat a blood-borne infection but cannot afford the provincial health care deductible.

In some of the country's fastest-growing cases of infection, advocates have pushed the province to completely block free drugs for patients.

Manitoba Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said it is a “high priority” for the government to fight high rates of HIV and to make it easier for Manitobans to access medicine and reduce its spread.

“My department is actively working to implement this and expect some updates soon,” Asagwara said.

Asagwara did not confirm that 100 percent coverage would be forthcoming, but said the government was working to “remove the barriers that currently exist for people who need access to these treatments and medicines.”

In 2021, HIV prevention drugs were added to Manitoba's Pharmacare plan after years of advocacy. At the time, Manitoba was the only province that did not cover pre-exposure prophylaxis, known as PrEP. Since then, PrEP and HIV medications have been covered by Pharmacare, but not 100 percent.

“There are still significant obstacles. On a regular basis, we see disadvantages where people forgo medication due to financial barriers. We also see people opting out of PrEP because of the out-of-pocket costs,” said Dr. Lori Irish, MD, Nine Circles Community Health Center and primary care provider for the Manitoba HIV Program.

The HIV program has been in talks with the provincial government to reduce barriers to care and expand access to treatment, Ireland said.

The program has benefited from additional funding for training and staffing, and they hope to respond soon to other ways to expand care.

Without coverage, PrEP can cost up to $300 a month. A daily pill can reduce the risk of contracting HIV by 99 percent. Antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV are more expensive, costing several hundred dollars each month. Each is subject to the Manitoba Pharmacare deductible. In some other provinces, including Alberta, BC and Saskatchewan, PrEP is available free of charge to eligible patients.

Manitoba is one of the only provinces, along with Ontario and Quebec, to collect rebates on HIV drugs.

David Lacho moved to Manitoba from B.C. in 2022, saying that access to medication in Manitoba was difficult and he faced uncertain out-of-pocket costs after his current prescription ran out.

“Frankly, if these drugs were available, we could see a significant reduction in HIV transmission within a generation,” he said Thursday.

“It is very important that this is covered free of charge. I know a lot of my friends and now, myself included, are financially unstable and they are more concerned about their finances than their sexual health.”

The cost of the deduction is based on a percentage of the individual's income. It costs at least $100 a year. To qualify for Pharmacare, Manitobans must file an income tax return and verify their income through a Canada Revenue Agency assessment notice.

“This deductible is often insurmountable due to rising food and housing costs, and we often see patients stop taking their medications when they can't afford their deductible,” Ireland said.

Ireland has introduced a temporary HIV treatment coverage program as a “stop-gap” measure for people who are not enrolled in pharmaceutical services or who cannot pay their deductibles, lasting three to 12 months before the deductible is returned. comes into force.

There is no deductible for Manitobans on social assistance and the drug is fully covered, as it is under uninsured benefits for First Nations and Inuit residents.

Newly diagnosed HIV cases are on the rise in Canada, and Manitoba has one of the highest rates of new diagnoses in the country, second only to Saskatchewan, according to the Canadian AIDS Research Foundation.

The organization released a new strategic plan this week to end the HIV epidemic in Canada by the end of next year.

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