PrEP with Kaiser

[+ 7829V]

Does anyone have any experience on getting PrEP using Kaiser?

 

Already sent an email to my primary care physician that I’ve never met (the one had before retired) asking about the process.

 

Not sure if they approve it right away... I’ve heard stories that sometimes they give you a hard time. Also not sure how much it would cost. I guess depends on your insurance plan. ??‍♂️

 

I hope the process goes smoothly?

[EastbayMike]

I'm a Kaiser north member. My nurse practitioner prescribes it for me once a quarter. I also get blood work, hiv, and std tests once a quarter per his requirements. No cost through my work-provided health care plan and a Gilead discount card. The entire process was really easy and positive.

[+ 7829V]

I'm a Kaiser north member. My nurse practitioner prescribes it for me once a quarter. I also get blood work, hiv, and std tests once a quarter per his requirements. No cost through my work-provided health care plan and a Gilead discount card. The entire process was really easy and positive.

Thanks for your feedback.

Glad you had a good experience. ?

[+ honcho]

Does anyone have any experience on getting PrEP using Kaiser?

 

Already sent an email to my primary care physician that I’ve never met (the one had before retired) asking about the process.

 

Not sure if they approve it right away... I’ve heard stories that sometimes they give you a hard time. Also not sure how much it would cost. I guess depends on your insurance plan. ??‍♂️

 

I hope the process goes smoothly?

 

I'm also on PrEP with Kaiser North. In my annual in-person physical, 3 or 4 years ago, I mentioned that my boyfriend (of 12 years)

was HIV+, (and also a Kaiser member) and although he was undetectable, and he's never had his unprotected dick up my butt,

was nevertheless encouraging me to go on prep because it would make him less worried about me.

 

She arranged for me to have a meeting with the nurse-practitioner leading the program in SF, who explained how it worked, and never gave me the least reservation about signing me up.

 

The costs can depend on whichever variant of your coverage is; mine is through a large public university (even though I've retired from it). If I get it through the mail, it costs me $50 for a 3 month supply, or if I go to an in-person pharmacy, it would be $75.

 

They *are* billing medicare a bundle for it, but still less than retail. I logged into to look at my Description-of-Benefits-Part-D but the

system is down at the moment, so I can't tell you precise numbers.

[Rudynate]

I think Kaiser's PrEP program is about the best there is.  I don't think it is true that they discourage people from going on PrEP.  After all, every person who goes in PrEP and stays on it successfully is one less person they have to worry about catching HIV, which will cost a lot more that keeping someone on PrEP for the rest of their life.  The Department of Infectious Disease, which administers the PrEP program is only too happy to put guys on PrEP.  Early on , when Truvada first became available for PrEP, my PC doc, who is notoriously cheap, discouraged me from going on it because my husband is poz and undetectable.  I put it off for a couple years and ended up going on it.

[TopBunk]

Every time I ask my doctor for a prep refill, he asks me if there's any reason I need it for. I'm like, that's obvious. I ask for routine (1-3 month) sti testing too.

[Rudynate]

7 hours ago, TopBunk said:

Every time I ask my doctor for a prep refill, he asks me if there's any reason I need it for. I'm like, that's obvious. I ask for routine (1-3 month) sti testing too.

If you were receiving care in a well-run PrEP program, none of that would be necessary - at Kaiser, I have a standing order for STI, kidney and liver function testing.  Once a year I get tested for hep C.  I get the med refilled every 3 months - I order over the web and the med comes in the mail 3-4 days later.

[rvwnsd]

On 4/20/2022 at 11:00 PM, TopBunk said:

Every time I ask my doctor for a prep refill, he asks me if there's any reason I need it for. I'm like, that's obvious. I ask for routine (1-3 month) sti testing too.

Not being facetious when I say this - you need a different doctor if that's the way he approaches prescribing PrEP.

Every three months I go in for labs (HIV and STI tests as well as a urinalysis to ensure my liver has not sustained damage), we run through a set of standard questions (was I sexually active, any unprotected sex, any problems w/the med, taking it every day etc) and a refill is transmitted to the mail order pharmacy once my HIV test comes back negative. This is also how my previous physician in San Diego operated. 

To the OP's question, I don't have Kaiser but friends in SoCal who have it have said it is a pretty easy process. Essentially, it's what @Rudynate and @honcho said.

[+ ButchAtl]

How do the Rx costs work at Kaiser with the Prep program?

Descovy is expensive, right? 

[+ JEC]

Here is a new option for inexpensive HIV (and other) Meds for ppl without insurance:  https://costplusdrugs.com/medications/categories/hiv/ 

This is a new company started by Mark Cuban, they are adding new meds to the list all the time.

[Colton]

Prep should be free right, under insurance?  Because it’s preventative.  
 

for other medications, I found Ro Pharmacy (same company behind Roman) to be extremely competitively priced (w/o insurance) and much cheaper than ordering through my insurance coverage. It’s like a mail order version of GoodRx.