An Atlanta AIDS group filed a federal complaint against Humana and Cigna, arguing that the insurance companies' high prices for HIV medications discriminate against those with the disease, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta filed the civil rights complaint with HHS on Tuesday. The document, filed in conjunction with the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard School of Law, alleged that the insurers set high prices for the HIV drugs to discourage people with expensive chronic conditions — like AIDS — from joining their insurance plans.
"They pick the patients who are less expensive and they leave the more expensive patients to the other companies," said Melanie Thompson, MD, founder and principal investigator for the AIDS Research Consortium of Atlanta.
Dr. Thompson investigated the companies and found that through their plans, HIV and AIDS patients were paying $550 for treatment, yet only $60 for a rheumatoid arthritis medication just as expensive to produce, according to WSB-TV.
Following Dr. Thompson's investigation, Alabama, Illinois, Louisiana, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania noticed similar issues and filed discrimination complaints against a handful of insurers, including Highmark and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.
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