Evidence From a Multistate Cohort: Enrollment in Affordable Care Act Qualified Health Plans' Association With Viral Suppression

Access to a novel first-line single-tablet HIV antiretroviral regimen in Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans, 2018-2020

BACKGROUND

A pillar of the United States' Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) initiative is to rapidly provide antiretroviral therapy (ART) in order to achieve HIV viral suppression. However, insurance benefit design can impede ART access. The primary objective of this study is to understand how Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace qualified health plan (QHP) formularies responded to two new ART single tablet regimens (STRs): dolutegravir/abacavir/lamivudine (DTG/ABC/3TC; approved in 2014) and bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF; approved in 2018).

METHODS

We conducted a descriptive study of individual and small group QHPs to assess coverage, cost sharing (coinsurance vs. copay), specialty tiering, prior authorization, and out-of-pocket (OOP) costs for DTG/ABC/3TC and BIC/FTC/TAF. All individual and small group QHPs offered in state ACA Marketplaces from 2018-2020 were identified using plan-level formulary data from Ideon linked to end-of-year data from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Individual Market Health Insurance Exchange (HIX).

RESULTS

For 2018, 2019, and 2020, respectively, we identified 19,533, 17,007, and 21,547 QHPs. While DTG/ABC/3TC coverage was above 91% from 2018-2020, BIC/FTC/TAF coverage improved from 60 to 86%. Coverage of BIC/FTC/TAF improved in EHE priority jurisdictions from 73 to 90% driven by increased coverage with coinsurance. Although BIC/FTC/TAF had a higher wholesale acquisition cost than DTG/ABC/3TC, monthly OOP cost trends differed regionally in the Midwest but did not differ by EHE priority jurisdiction status.

CONCLUSIONS

QHP coverage of STRs is heterogeneous across the US. While coverage of BIC/FTC/TAF increased over time, many QHPs in EHE priority jurisdictions required coinsurance. Access to new ART regimens may be slowed by delayed QHP coverage and benefit design.

Reaching and Re-Engaging People Living with HIV Who Are Out of Care: A Mixed-Methods Exploration of Patient Preferences for Strategies to Enhance Clinic Communication and Outreach

Half of all people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States are not retained in HIV medical care. The utility of appointment reminders and clinic-based retention support services is often limited by the inability to contact PLWH who are out of care (PLWH-OOC) due to disconnected phone lines, full voice mails, and housing instability. Between June 2019 and May 2021, as part of a larger mixed-methods study in Metro Atlanta, Georgia, we conducted surveys with 50 PLWH-OOC and interviews with 13 PLWH holding a variety of clinic stakeholder roles (patients, Community Advisory Board members, and peer navigators) to explore preferences for clinic communication and peer outreach and factors impacting uptake. Although phone calls, text messages, and calling secondary contacts were most preferred, the spread of preferences was wide. Surveys and interviews highlighted the high acceptance of peer outreach visits, with trust, support, and privacy being key factors driving the uptake. Findings underscore the need for clinics to offer a suite of communication and outreach strategies and assess patient preferences for traditional and nontraditional outreach models to more effectively reach, re-engage, and ultimately retain PLWH-OOC.

Economic benefits of the United States’ AIDS drug assistance Program: A systematic review of cost analyses to guide research and policy priorities

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The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) is a $2.4 billion a year program.

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Little formal economic analysis of the ADAP in the literature.

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The few economic analyses of ADAP use 2008 or older data.

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ADAP programs’ healthcare delivery have changed substantially since 2008.

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Updated person-centered cost effectiveness models assessing ADAP are needed.

As part of the Ryan White HIV/AIDs Program, the federally-funded, state-administered AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) provides prescription drug medications, including antiretroviral therapy, for people with HIV (PWH) who are uninsured/underinsured and have a low income. ADAP expenditures are ∼$2.4 billion annually, but there is a dearth of formal economic analysis supporting the societal perspective. We conducted a systematic review of economic analyses of the United States’ AIDS Drug Assistance Program to establish future research priorities based on gaps in knowledge. We searched six electronic databases for articles published before January 2022 that met inclusion criteria. We used the 2022 Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards to assess the quality of reporting of the economic evaluations. We extracted data into categories to assess gaps and needs for future economic evaluation. Seven studies met inclusion criteria. Two used the same modeling approaches but were published with slightly different outcomes. The few economic analyses that focused solely on ADAP were conducted using 2008 or older data. The most recent study modeled the net cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) secondary to reducing new HIV cases among those virally suppressed, but did not include the economic or health benefits for PWH. ADAP programs’ delivery of antiretroviral therapy has shifted from primarily direct provision to subsidizing insurance plans. None of the models take these shifts into account. Updated person-centered cost effectiveness models assessing ADAP are needed on a national and state-by-state level to guide policy decisions and coverage determinations.

Medicaid Expansion's Impact on Human Immunodeficiency Virus Outcomes in a Nonurban Southeastern Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Clinic

Background

Although the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program supports high-quality human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) care, Medicaid enrollment provides access to non-HIV care. People with HIV (PWH) with Medicaid historically have low viral suppression (VS) rates. In a state with previously high Qualified Health Plan coverage of PWH, we examined HIV outcomes by insurance status during the first year of Medicaid expansion (ME).

Methods

Participants were PWH ages 18–63 who attended ≥1 HIV medical visit/year in 2018 and 2019. We estimated associations of sociodemographic characteristics with ME enrollment prevalence and associations between insurance status and engagement in care and VS.

Results

Among 577 patients, 151 (33%) were newly eligible for Medicaid, and 77 (51%) enrolled. Medicaid enrollment was higher for those with incomes <100% federal poverty level (adjusted prevalence ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.00–1.86) compared with others. Controlling for age, income, and 2018 engagement, those with employment-based private insurance (adjusted risk difference [aRD], −8.5%; 95% CI, −16.9 to 0.1) and Medicare (aRD, −12.5%; 95% CI, −21.2 to −3.0) had lower 2019 engagement than others. For those with VS data (n = 548), after controlling for age and baseline VS, those with Medicaid (aRD, −4.0%; 95% CI, −10.3 to 0.3) and with Medicaid due to ME (aRD, −6.2%; 95% CI, −14.1 to −0.8) were less likely to achieve VS compared with others.

Conclusions

Given that PWH who newly enrolled in Medicaid had high engagement in care, the finding of lower VS is notable. The discordance may be due to medication access gaps associated with changes in medication procurement logistics.

A Cross-Sectional Study on the Affordable Care Act from the Perspective of People Living with HIV: The Interplay between Knowledge, Stigma, Trust, and Attitudes

Background

Many AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) purchased Affordable Care Act (ACA) Qualified Health Plans (QHPs) for low-income people living with HIV (PLWH). To date, little has been published about PLWH's perspective on the ACA. We explored ACA knowledge, HIV stigma, trust in the healthcare system, and ACA attitudes among PLWH with ADAP-funded QHPs in Virginia.

Methods

Participants were surveyed about demographic characteristics, ACA knowledge, HIV stigma, trust in various healthcare and government entities, and attitudes toward the ACA. Descriptive statistics were used. We assessed for associations (1) between baseline characteristics and correct ACA knowledge, HIV-related stigma, trust, and ACA attitudes and (2) between correct ACA knowledge and the following data: sources of ACA knowledge, HIV stigma, and trust.

Results

Participants (n = 53) were a vulnerable population based on the assessment of social determinants of health, and 30% had correct ACA knowledge. Almost three-fourths of participants used HIV clinic case managers for ACA information. Participants who used websites for ACA information had correct ACA knowledge more often compared to those that did not (71% vs. 15%; p = 0.001). Those with correct ACA knowledge had lower stigma scores compared to those without correct ACA knowledge (93.8; SD: 15.4 vs. 108; SD: 20.3; p = 0.01). Participants trusted HIV clinicians more than general clinicians and insurance companies. No association was found between having correct ACA knowledge and endorsing having enough information about the ACA to understand how it will impact their HIV care.

Conclusions

Websites imparted accurate ACA information. HIV clinic case managers were the most used source, and HIV clinicians were a trusted source of information. HIV clinicians and case managers should consider disseminating information about the ACA and its impact on HIV care delivery via internet videos. Lack of internet and stigma are a threat to PLWH gaining actionable healthcare information.

Assisters Succeed in Insurance Navigation for People Living with HIV and People at Increased Risk of HIV in a Complex Coverage Landscape

Insurance enrollment is complex for people living with HIV (PLWH) and people at increased risk for HIV, in part, owing to needing to ensure access to adequate provider networks and appropriate formularies. Insurance for PLWH facilitates access to HIV care/treatment and, ultimately, viral suppression, which has the individual benefit of longevity and the public health benefit of decreased HIV transmission. For people at increased risk for HIV, access to insurance facilitates improved access to HIV biomedical prevention, which has the individual benefit of elimination of transmission risk and the public health benefit of decreased HIV transmission. The objective of this study was to explore perceptions of priorities related to plan navigation, barriers and facilitators for enrolling and maintaining insurance coverage, and questions related to regional, state, and federal policies impacting plans provided both on and off the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace. We interviewed a national sample of assisters (n = 40), who specialize in insurance plan selection for these populations. We found that assisters tailor their approaches to HIV-specific and person-specific concerns by navigating challenges related to affordability, formularies, and provider networks. In a complex coverage landscape during a time of uncertainty about the long-term future of the ACA, assisters have mastered the ability to simplify the insurance selection process for a vulnerable population. Assisters have excelled at incorporating insurance literacy education and encouraging client engagement in the process. Assisters play an essential role in the current complicated and fragmented United States' health care delivery system for PLWH and people at increased risk for HIV and could be incorporated into the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative.

Federal and State Action Needed to End the Infectious Complications of Illicit Drug Use in the United States: IDSA and HIVMA's Advocacy Agenda

In response to the opioid crisis, IDSA and HIVMA established a working group to drive an evidence- and human rights-based response to illicit drug use and associated infectious diseases. Infectious diseases and HIV physicians have an opportunity to intervene, addressing both conditions. IDSA and HIVMA have developed a policy agenda highlighting evidence-based practices that need further dissemination. This paper reviews (1) programs most relevant to infectious diseases in the 2018 SUPPORT Act; (2) opportunities offered by the "End the HIV Epidemic" initiative; and (3) policy changes necessary to affect the trajectory of the opioid epidemic and associated infections. Issues addressed include leveraging harm reduction tools and improving integrated prevention and treatment services for the infectious diseases and substance use disorder care continuum. By strengthening collaborations between infectious diseases and addiction specialists, including increasing training in substance use disorder treatment among infectious diseases and addiction specialists, we can decrease morbidity and mortality associated with these overlapping epidemics.

National Survey of US HIV Clinicians: Knowledge and Attitudes About the Affordable Care Act and Opinions of its Impact on Quality of Care and Barriers to Care

Background

The Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) major reforms started in 2014. In addition to assessing HIV clinicians’ ACA knowledge and attitudes, this study aims to evaluate HIV clinicians’ perspectives on whether the ACA has impacted the quality of HIV care and whether it addresses the main barriers to HIV care.

Methods

HIV clinicians were emailed a survey weblink in 2018. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U tests, and binary logistic regression were performed.

Results

Of the 211 survey participants, the majority (70%) answered all 4 knowledge questions correctly. About 80% knew correctly whether their state had expanded Medicaid. Participants from Medicaid expansion states were more likely to report an improved ability to provide high-quality care compared with participants from Medicaid nonexpansion states (50% vs 34%; P = .01). The average response to whether the ACA addresses the main barriers to HIV care was neutral and did not differ based on Medicaid status. The top 3 main barriers to HIV care cited were mental health, substance use, and transportation.

Conclusions

HIV clinicians in Medicaid expansion states were more likely to report an improved ability to provide high-quality care since ACA implementation compared with those in Medicaid nonexpansion states. However, HIV clinicians across the United States are concerned that the ACA does not address the main barriers to HIV care. To be successful, the “Ending the HIV Epidemic” initiative should address these identified barriers.