A complaint submitted Tuesday to HHS' Office of Civil Rights claims health insurance giant Humana has violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Affordable Care Act by discouraging people who need costly HIV medication from participating in its insurance plans, reports The Advocate.
CrescentCare in New Orleans and the Center for Health Law & Policy Innovation at HarvardLawSchool filed the joint complaint. The complaint claims Humana routinely refused to cover lifesaving HIV medications or limited member access to medications by forcing customers to pay a significant share of the cost, according to the article.
Humana officials have denied the allegations and said their insurance plans are compliant with state and federal regulations. The insurer blamed the medication's high cost-sharing rate on its status as a specialty drug costing more than $600 per prescription, according to an official company statement.
Humana faces similar complaints in six other states.