PLANO, Texas, Jan. 11, 2019 /- Good Days today announced the opening of a copay assistance program focused on HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, significantly advancing access to care.
“With millions of individuals living in the U.S. in need of access to daily HIV and AIDS treatment and prevention regimens, we’re proud to make this new assistance fund available to the public,” said Clorinda Walley, president of Good Days. “This is an important opportunity to ensure that affected and at-risk individuals who are under-insured do not have to choose between the cost of these life-saving treatments and every day necessities such as food and housing.”
“Good Days is grateful to offer this new program for at-risk individuals who need preventative HIV treatment as well as affected individuals who face a lifetime battle with HIV,” said Randie Odebralski, chief operating officer of Good Days. “By reducing the financial burden of these treatments, we can save more lives.”
Out-of-pocket costs for HIV prevention drugs can discourage people from preemptive therapy, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates lifetime treatment costs of $379,668 or nearly $20,000 per year for an HIV infection. The Good Days HIV and AIDS Treatment & Prevention Financial Assistance Fund will provide copay assistance for eligible patients who are already prescribed FDA-approved pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) or post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) treatments. Qualified patients can receive up to $7,500 per year from Good Days, substantially helping to cover the out-of-pocket costs associated with specialty medications for HIV/AIDS.
The U.S. Department of Human Services (HHS) reports that more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. are living with HIV today and 1 in 7 of them do not know it. The CDC estimates that more than one million people are at high risk of contracting HIV. HHS recommends daily HIV/AIDS medication adherence for all people living with HIV or who are at very high risk of infection. For those at very high risk for HIV, PrEP can significantly reduce risk of infection. Most people living with HIV who don’t get treatment eventually develop AIDS. According to the CDC, individuals with AIDS are recommended adherence to PEP antiretroviral therapies (ART), regardless of how long they’ve had the virus or how healthy they are. HIV treatment helps people living with HIV stay healthy and prevents transmission of the virus to others. Challenges with access to care can lead to skipping doses or starting and stopping medication, which contributes to drug resistance and can limit future treatment options.
The HIV and AIDS Treatment & Prevention Financial Assistance Fund is open and accepting new enrollments. Patients and their advocates or caregivers can apply at our online patient portal (https://www.mygooddays.org/patients/diseases-covered/hiv-aids-treatment-and-prevention) or by calling us toll-free at (877) 968-7233 Monday-Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm (CST). For more information on additional patient resources and disease groups that Good Days serves, visit www.mygooddays.org.