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Letter from Gilead to Community: Facts About Gilead's PrEP Medications Donation to Help Support Ending the HIV Epidemic Efforts
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Subject: Facts About Gilead's PrEP Medications Donation to Help Support Ending the HIV Epidemic Efforts
Date: November 4, 2019 at 12:01:02 PM EST
Dear partners,
In a few weeks, we anticipate the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch its new HIV prevention program – the Ready, Set, PrEP program – thanks in part to Gilead's historic donation of PrEP medications. We are excited about the potential of this program to reach even more uninsured people in the United States who are at-risk of HIV and could benefit from PrEP, particularly those in underserved and heavily impacted communities.
As a valued community partner, we want to ensure you're aware of some key components of this donation, and what it means for the communities you serve, as well as to make clear that Gilead currently has no plans to make changes to our Medication Assistance Program (MAP) after the HHS program launches.
Gilead's Commitment to HHS Will Expand PrEP Access
Gilead has committed to providing HHS up to 2.4 million bottles of HIV prevention medications per year for uninsured people in the United States. All approved prevention medications are available as part of this program at the discretion of people and their healthcare providers. This donation of medications is among the largest in U.S. history, and is part of Gilead's broader, ongoing initiatives to help ensure that everyone who can benefit from PrEP is able to access it.
Gilead Remains Committed to Comprehensive Efforts to Address Barriers to PrEP
We are also proud to continue to partner with you, through our philanthropic efforts, to focus on addressing the other significant barriers facing those in greatest need, such as limited access to affordable healthcare, low awareness of PrEP as part of comprehensive HIV prevention, stigma, discrimination, racism, transphobia, homophobia, sexism, and other factors that impact marginalized communities from achieving the best health outcomes.
Gilead's Medication Assistance Program Will be Maintained and Will Not Change
The HHS program – the Ready, Set, PrEP program – is separate and distinct from Gilead's long-running Medication Assistance Program (MAP). The Gilead MAP offers free PrEP medication to financially eligible, uninsured or underinsured Americans. Our Gilead MAP will continue with no plans to alter this program after the HHS program launches – meaning our eligibility requirements will remain the same, and we will not impose any caps on the number of eligible people who can access our MAP.
Anyone prescribed PrEP medication who has not been enrolled in Gilead's MAP in the last 12 months, and has no insurance and no drug coverage, will be eligible for the HHS program. Individuals who have been enrolled in Gilead's MAP, including those enrolled in the past twelve months, will continue to be enrolled in MAP and will not be accepted into the HHS program to maximize the availability of support through the HHS donation program. However, if there is an individual who no longer financially qualifies for the Gilead MAP but remains uninsured, that individual will be referred to the HHS donation program.
We do not want individuals at risk for HIV to be left without options for support and the intent of having these two programs is to reach even more people who could benefit from PrEP.
Working with Partners and Transparency
We know there is an urgent need to expand uptake of PrEP as an HIV prevention strategy among those at risk for HIV in the U.S. In recognition of this need, Gilead is providing input and support to HHS in its efforts to ensure an expeditious launch of the Ready, Set, PrEP program.
Gilead is providing its expertise and pre-existing network of vendors for the next six months to help ensure a successful and expedient launch of HHS's program. HHS will open up this work to other vendors following the initial launch period. Gilead is taking no money for this distribution arrangement. HHS is only compensating vendors that Gilead has organized on its behalf, and Gilead is not charging HHS for its employees' work to help with the implementation of the donation program.
Finally, we want to make sure you know that in accordance with tax rules and regulations, and contrary to some reporting, Gilead has publicly stated that any tax deduction from this donation will be based only on the cost of materials and manufacturing, not its market value.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions and we look forward to our continued partnerships.
Thank you,
Amy Flood
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
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