# Ryan White PrEP Availability Act

This bill makes it easier for people without health insurance or with limited insurance coverage to access PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medication that prevents HIV infection. Right now, PrEP is expensive—it can cost hundreds of dollars per month—and many people can't afford it even though it's highly effective at preventing HIV transmission. The bill allows the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, which is a federal program that already helps uninsured and underinsured people with HIV care, to also pay for PrEP for people who are at high risk of getting HIV but don't have adequate insurance coverage.

Currently, the Ryan White program focuses on treating people who already have HIV, but it doesn't officially cover prevention medications like PrEP. This creates a gap where people who need PrEP most—those without good insurance and at higher risk—often can't get it. By expanding the program to cover PrEP, the bill removes a major barrier to prevention. This means people in vulnerable situations, including those with low incomes, people experiencing homelessness, and members of communities disproportionately affected by HIV, would have better access to this life-changing preventive medication.

The practical effect is straightforward: more people at risk for HIV would be able to take PrEP regularly, which could prevent thousands of new HIV infections. This is considered a public health win because preventing new infections is far less expensive and less complicated than treating HIV after someone gets infected. The bill essentially recognizes that prevention and treatment should work together as part of a comprehensive approach to ending the HIV epidemic.

Ryan White PrEP Availability Act

Scott, Rick

Ryan White PrEP Availability Act This bill expands the use of Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program grants for providing medical care and services to low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS. Recipients may use the grants to provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and related preventive services for individuals who are at risk of contracting HIV.