Trump wants to take away PrEP - HIV prevention drug Truvada

US Republicans are akin to a party of Tony Abbott clones

Truvada has become a major prong of the multi-pronged attack on HIV. It hugely reduces the chance of getting HIV among at risk groups when taken daily as a preventative drug. In fact since it's inception as a treatment in the US, infection rates for HIV have dropped 20%. Investing in such preventative measures is cost effective in the long run; avoiding a lifetime of expensive treatment is good for all involved.

Yet despite this fact that it makes good sense to invest in the public's health, the crazy Republican party is hell bent on destroying Obamacare for no other reason that I can perceive than being ideological. Trump, the so called hero of the common man, is going to dump Obamacare that will cut off affordable health care for millions of the poorest of the US population. 

Before Obamacare there were 45 million Americans without health insurance. Thats double the whole Australian population FFS! The human suffering caused by that is probably stilled being told amongst the poor that presently have gained access to health insurance through Obamacare. For Trump to want those horror stories to again become part of their lives is cruel in the extreme. Certainly not anything to do with supporting the common man. 

Amongst all this is PrEP, the preventative treatment for at risk groups that vastly reduces the chance of contracting HIV when exposed to the virus. Truvada is an expensive HIV drug being used for PrEP, but Obamacare has made it affordable for poor people who need it. This access will also go with Obamacare being abolished.

The consequences for the public's health are obvious; an increase in the infection rates of HIV within the US. It's not rocket science folks.

House Republicans released a highly anticipated blueprint of what they’re hoping will replace the Affordable Care Act. In it, it’s confirmed their plan is to eliminate Medicaid expansion as well as other highlights in what many call “Obamacare.” One of the consequences? A major roadblock in the access to PrEP.

 The plan will make it particularly difficult for low-income Americans in the 31 states (plus Washington D.C.) that adopted the Medicaid expansion. As Time points out, if the new bill passes in its current form, traditional Medicaid will be replaced by per-capita grants, which is a fixed-sum per person that will likely have cuts over time.

 Additionally, the bill wants to repeal ACA’s cost-sharing assistance, which is a system based on a person's income that paid insurers an amount to help with their monthly fees. If that happened, coverage will be too expensive for poor people to handle, thus leading to more uninsured Americans living areas that need it most.

 While Truvada does offer co-pay assistance through a self-funded program, it’s still unclear how it will be impacted by the proposed ACA repeal. Without easy and affordable access to PrEP, HIV-negative partners in serodiscordant relationships are at a higher risk for contracting the virus. The same can be said for anyone living in high risk counties or participate in high risk activities, like barrier free sex or injection drug use. HIV Plus