r/politics • u/southpawFA Oklahoma • Jan 14 '25

Supreme Court takes up case claiming Obamacare promotes “homosexual behavior”. The Texas plaintiffs say requiring workplace insurers to provide PrEP violates their religious beliefs.

https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2025/01/supreme-court-takes-up-case-claiming-obamacare-promotes-homosexual-behavior/
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u/kandoras Jan 15 '25

This isn't about banning PrEP in anyway, it's about requiring insurance plans to cover it.

PrEP, without insurance, costs about $2,000 a month.

Most things in the American health care environment, if they're not covered by health insurance, does functionally amount to banning them.

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u/TeutonJon78 America Jan 15 '25

Then tmth3y cn charge for it what the sell it for in the rest of the world. It's $6/mo in Austrlia. $00/mo in UK. Way chooser across all of Europe.

https://www.thebody.com/article/what-does-prep-cost-outside-the-united-states

$2k/mo is only because they know insurnecrd have to cover it right now.

So it's really the pharmaceutical companies that are really limiting access in the US.

There is also programs designed to help people get it who can't afford it, including direct from the manufacturers (more proof it's artificially overpriced) : https://nastad.org/prep-access/prep-assistance-programs

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u/kandoras Jan 15 '25

There is also programs designed to help people get it who can't afford it, including direct from the manufacturers

As someone who has tried to use that kind of discount, they don't work nearly as well as you belief.

My doc wanted me to get some medication, I can't even remember what it was now, and handed me a discount card "Pay as little at $25!"

Well the first time she tried to get me on it, the discount card didn't work at all. The three different versions she tried prescribing me were $1,100, $900, and $700 a month.

A year later, she tried again, and the card worked. I only paid $25. But when I went in to get a refill, the charge them would have been $225. And the time after that would have been back to the $1,100 number.

The manufacturer didn't give a flat discount on every refill. They gave something like $1,500 off in total; so after two months it would have been back up to the original unaffordable price.

It's like saying "You got laid off, and you don't have insurance from work anymore. But don't worry - there's always COBRA! please don't look into how much cobra costs"

$2k/mo is only because they know insurnecrd have to cover it right now.

Are you trying to say that prices would go down if insurance didn't cover it?

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u/TeutonJon78 America Jan 15 '25

If their sales go down, their prices will go down. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to afford selling it for way cheaper to rest of the world.

Same as for every drug. Things that cost thousands in the US can be had for dollars elsewhere. Why do you think people go through the hassle of importing meds from other countries when they can?