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Committee hears bill to bar insurers from penalizing PrEP users and to ban cost sharing
Summary
B26‑159 (PrepDC Act of 2025) would prohibit health plans from using prescription history to determine eligibility or premiums, prevent insurer delays in antiretroviral distribution, and ban cost sharing for PrEP/PEP; Councilmember Zachary Parker and agency witnesses discussed implementation and technical changes.
Councilmember Zachary Parker (Ward 5) introduced B26‑159 at the Oct. 30 Committee on Health hearing, framing the bill around three goals: stop insurers from using prescription information against patients, prevent delays in access to antiretroviral medications, and eliminate co‑pays and premium penalties for PrEP and other HIV prevention medications. "I was proud to introduce this legislation to contribute to the district's fight against HIV and AIDS rates since coming on a council," Parker said in his opening remarks.
Public health and provider witnesses strongly supported the bill. Agencies that regulate insurance and public health said they back the bill's goals but suggested drafting changes to avoid unintended consequences. Philip Barlow of the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking said plans typically cover PrEP because it is a Grade A preventive service under the Affordable Care Act, but he recommended precise statutory language (for example, replacing a reference to "setting premium rates" with underwriting/rate‑making criteria) to avoid ambiguity. DC Health's HOSTA office told the committee the District has made significant progress reducing new diagnoses and that PrEP/PEP remain critical tools in that work.
