Impact of insurance coverage on utilization of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention

Rupa R. Patel, Leandro Mena, Amy Nunn, Timothy McBride, Laura C. Harrison, Catherine E. Oldenburg, Jingxia Liu, Kenneth H. Mayer, Philip A. Chan

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

80 Scopus citations

Abstract

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) can reduce U.S. HIV incidence. We assessed insurance coverage and its association with PrEP utilization. We reviewed patient data at three PrEP clinics (Jackson, Mississippi; St. Louis, Missouri; Providence, Rhode Island) from 2014± 2015. The outcome, PrEP utilization, was defined as patient PrEP use at three months. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine the association between insurance coverage and PrEP utilization. Of 201 patients (Jackson: 34%; St. Louis: 28%; Providence: 28%), 91% were male, 51% were White, median age was 29 years, and 21% were uninsured; 82% of patients reported taking PrEP at three months. Insurance coverage was significantly associated with PrEP utilization. After adjusting for Medicaid-expansion and individual socio-demographics, insured patients were four times as likely to use PrEP services compared to the uninsured (OR: 4.49, 95% CI: 1.68-12.01; p = 0.003). Disparities in insurance coverage are important considerations in implementation programs and may impede PrEP utilization.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere0178737
JournalPloS one
Volume12
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - May 2017

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Impact of insurance coverage on utilization of pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this