Several physicians and health care advocates are accusing Harvard Pilgrim of discrimination against HIV patients in Maine and have filed a complaint with the Maine Bureau of Insurance.
According to the complaint, Harvard Pilgrim’s plans for 2025 will no longer cover two of four recommended drugs that treat HIV. The complaint said that one drug, Biktarvy, is prescribed to nearly half of all HIV patients in the U.S.
The executive director of the Frannie Peabody Center, Katie Rutherford, is among those who filed the complaint in early November. She said she hoped it would be resolved by December 15, the deadline to enroll in insurance coverage that begins in January.
“It seems as though the purpose of this change, and the reason why we believe it’s discriminatory is because it discourages people from enrolling. And we’re seeing that happen in real time,” Rutherford said.
Rutherford said Frannie Peabody is now scrambling to enroll people with HIV in other health plans.
A spokesperson from Harvard Pilgrim said it’s reviewing its changes.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Insurance says it’s investigating the matter, but that current plan members who use Biktarvy will continue to have coverage in 2025.
Similar complaints have been filed against Harvard Pilgrim in New Hampshire and Rhode Island.
This article appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
