Aetna, Humana accused of discrimination against AIDS patients

May 29 (Bloomberg) — Advocates for people with HIV and AIDS charged that insurers including Aetna Inc., Humana Inc. and Cigna Corp. have discriminated against Obamacare patients in Florida infected with the virus.

The Tampa-based AIDS Institute and the National Health Law Program, an advocacy group in Washington, filed a complaint with the U.S. Health and Human Services Department alleging that the insurers tried to steer HIV and AIDS patients away from plans offered in the federal insurance exchange in Florida by restricting coverage of medicines for the disease. In mid-level “silver plans” offered in Florida, all three insurers require high out-of-pocket spending before covering any HIV/AIDS drugs, even generic ones, the groups said.