Portantino Bill Reducing Barriers to HIV Prevention Passes Assembly Health Committee

For Immediate Release: July 11, 2023

Contact: Lerna Shirinian, (818) 409-0400

Portantino Bill Reducing Barriers to HIV Prevention Passes Assembly Health Committee

Sacramento, California – Today, Senate Bill 427, authored by Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank), passed the Assembly Health Committee. SB 427 will eliminate cost-sharing and reduce access barriers to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) in health insurance coverage. Both medications are important tools for preventing HIV. 

“The HIV epidemic continues to disproportionately impact historically disadvantaged communities in California,” stated Senator Portantino. “SB 427 will reduce barriers to PrEP and PEP and make it easier and less costly to access these life-saving medications.”

Health coverage plays a major role in enabling people to access health care and protecting families from high medical costs. People of color have faced longstanding disparities in health coverage that contribute to disparities in health.

SB 427 would:

• Eliminate cost sharing for PrEP in grandfathered health plans.
• Eliminate cost sharing for PEP, in both grandfathered and non-grandfathered health plans.
• Require health plans and insurers to supply injectable PrEP and PEP directly to providers who administer the drug to patients.
• Address unnecessarily burdensome utilization management methods used by insurers.
•  Allow people access to non-formulary or non-generic drugs when a provider determines that an alternative drug would be safer or more effective for the patient.

“While preventive HIV care benefits are under attack at the federal level, in California we are taking action to increase health care access. Under SB 427, there will be no question that HIV PrEP and PEP and all the necessary care for delivering this life-saving medication will remain covered without cost sharing,” said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara. “I am proud to partner with Senator Portantino in sponsoring SB 427 and commend the Assembly Health Committee for advancing this important bill.”

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