D.C. bill would bar insurance discrimination against PrEP users
D.C. Council member Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) introduced a bill on June 28 calling for prohibiting insurance companies from taking into consideration a person’s use of the HIV prevention medication known as PrEP in decisions related to the issuance of disability, life, or long-term care insurance policies.
The bill, called the Removing Barriers and Reducing Stigma to Encourage HIV Prevention Amendment Act of 2023, would amend an existing D.C.
law passed in 1986 that, among other things, bans insurance companies from using a person’s age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, area of residence, occupation, or similar factors to predict whether the person in the future may develop AIDS.
A statement released by Pinto’s office says her bill is intended to “ensure individuals are not dissuaded from using PrEP because of potential negative consequences on their disability, life, or long-term care insurance” and to curtail stigma associated with PrEP use. “PrEP is a safe, reliable, and crucial medication to prevent the contraction of HIV,” Pinto said in the statement. “We need to be promoting its use – not discriminating against people, including LGBTQQIA+ and people of color who are disproportionately affected by HIV, who use this important medication,” Pinto says in the statement. “I am proud to introduce this legislation to advance public health, reduce stigmas associated with PrEP and HIV, and protect the rights of PrEP users,” Pinto said.
