PrEP is very expensive. If you don’t have private insurance, you can expect to pay $900 – $1000 A MONTH for Truvada for PrEP. For some guys, their insurance plan will cover 100% of their prescription as long as they take it. Some other insurance plans might only cover part of it (like covering 80%, but leaving you to cover the other 20%), and some insurance will cover the full amount, but only up to a yearly cap (in this case, they might pay for three months, and then leave you to pay for the remaining 9 months out of the year. For other guys, their insurance won’t cover PrEP at all. Most plans that do cover PrEP fully are premium plans, so unfortunately even for most guys with insurance cost might still be a big barrier. Importation of generic PrEP significantly lowers the cost- to about $60.00 a month. We know that this cost difference is one of the biggest reasons guys without insurance / sufficient insurance coverage choose to access PrEP through generic importation. In the event that research studies on PrEP are launched in Vancouver, participants would likely receive PrEP at no cost, and typically for a fixed amount of time- definitely as long as the study is underway, but sometimes longer. Currently, our provincial drug plan DOES NOT COVER PrEP! We’re working on changing that, and we need your help! Sign our petition, and share our call to action HERE.
Tell our government: One preventable HIV transmission is one too many!
