Some Insurers Deny Coverage To People Taking Drug To Prevent HIV

State health officials want to protect people who take medicine to prevent transmission of HIV from being denied insurance.

The drug Truvada — also called PrEP — is over 90 percent effective blocking HIV transmission. Those who use it do not have HIV but are at risk.

But some insurers deny insurance to people taking the drug despite its effectiveness.

Bennett Klein, an attorney for GLAD (GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders), led a case against a local insurer for denying insurance to people who took PrEP. He joined WBUR's Morning Edition host Bob Oakes to talk about the continued efforts to end those insurance denials.