PrEP prescription available online 

Depending on your pharmacy, PrEP costs around $1,758 for a 30-day supply without insurance or other patient assistance programs.

Most health insurance plans, including Medicaid, cover pre-exposure prophylaxis. Check with your insurance company to see if PrEP is covered by your health insurance plan. Patient assistance programs can help make PrEP affordable if you don't have health insurance.

Your pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) prescription should be covered if you have insurance. You will only need to worry about copays or, depending on your plan, deductibles. However, when starting any new medication, contacting your insurance company and verifying your coverage is a good idea.

Gilead, the maker of Truvada, has copay assistance that makes getting on Truvada PrEP, the HIV prevention pill, highly affordable to almost anyone. Many patients pay nothing out of pocket costs for PrEP.

Insurance plans typically cover PrEP costs via Pharmacy Benefits. Considering that the PrEP prevention pill can cost up to $20,000 a year, this can help PrEP users save a significant amount of money.

If you book an appointment with a PlushCare doctor to discuss the PrEP drug, you will learn how much insurance will cover before you commit to a treatment regimen.

PlushCare also provides each patient with a PrEP Coordinator who will guide you through the payment process and check if you are eligible for assistance programs.

Buyer beware: sometimes you will be billed due to a high deductible. Make sure to check with your PrEP provider to confirm that your insurance company has been billed properly.

PlushCare has had patients on the PrEP drug covered by the following health insurers, insurance plans and more:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield

• Blue Shield of California

• Anthem Blue Cross

• Aetna

• Humana

• Molina

• Delta Health

• Marketplace plans

• IEHP

• Healthnet

• TriCare

• Highmark

• Coventry

• Oxford

• Carefirst

• Medi-Cal

• Medicare

In 2014, California started covering PrEP costs via the state's Medicaid program, Medi-Cal. California continues to make PrEP accessible as the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has partnered with PlushCare to provide free access to PrEP statewide at home testing.

Today, "most insurance plans and state Medicaid programs cover PrEP," according to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "There are also other programs that provide PrEP for free or at a reduced cost," such as Ready, Set, PrEP, which makes the HIV prevention drug available at no cost to eligible patients.

You can get PrEP without insurance. If uninsured, the best way to get PrEP is to visit Gilead's Advancing Access website and fill out a quick form to understand your options better.

If you do not have insurance but think you would make a strong PrEP candidate, you can find a community health center near you to learn more about available assistance programs.

Alternatively, you can book an appointment with us to meet with one of our board-certified doctors on your phone and discuss your PrEP treatment options. We accept uninsured and self-pay members for a first visit cost of $129 and a follow-up visit cost of $99. If one of our experienced doctors cannot help you, you will get your money back.

To refill your PrEP prescription, book a virtual appointment with a board-certified PlushCare doctor. After reviewing your medical history, your doctor can send an electronic prescription to your local pharmacy.

To make sure PrEP is right for you, tell your doctor if you have:

• Liver disease

• Impaired kidney function

• Osteopenia (low bone mineral density)

• Hepatitis C

• If you're pregnant or breastfeeding

• If you've tested positive for HIV

PrEP isn't the same thing as PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis). PrEP is an ongoing treatment for people who have been exposed to HIV in the past 72 hours.

There are no known interactions between alcohol and PrEP. However, drinking alcohol can weaken your immune system, which can make it harder for your body to fight an HIV infection.

Yes, you can take PrEP at any time of the day, with or without food. Make sure to take PrEP at the same time each day.

Although PrEP is safe, some people may experience side effects such as nausea, headache, fatigue, and stomach pain.

No, you don't need to take PrEP if your sexual partner is undetectable. An undetectable viral load means the level of HIV is too low to measure through blood tests. As a result, HIV will not be transmitted through sex.

When taken within 72 hours of possible exposure, PrEP is highly effective in preventing HIV. After 72 hours, PrEP will not be as effective.

If you miss a dose of PrEP, take the missed dose as soon as you remember. Skip the missed dose if it’s almost time for your next dose. Avoid taking two doses to make up for a missed dose.

If you've taken too much PrEP, seek emergency medical attention or contact your local poison control center.