Reuters featured Dr. Howard Grossman, Medical Director at Spectrum Medical Care Center in Phoenix, in a national story examining the growing use of Gilead’s long-acting HIV prevention shot and the insurance reimbursement gaps creating financial strain for providers.
Grossman noted that roughly 200 of Spectrum’s more than 1,000 PrEP patients had already switched to Yeztugo by early April — a number he expects to continue climbing as awareness and access expand. But the shift comes with a significant financial challenge. As a nonprofit, Spectrum is charged a discounted per-dose price of $10,100. UnitedHealthcare, the largest U.S. health insurer, is reimbursing providers only $6,000 to $7,000 under some plans — leaving clinics absorbing thousands of dollars per dose.
The gap Grossman describes is not just a billing problem. It’s a structural barrier that threatens provider participation in a prevention tool with real public health implications. When reimbursement doesn’t cover costs, even mission-driven nonprofits face difficult decisions about sustainability.
For Spectrum Medical Care Center, the Reuters placement positions the organization as a credible, on-the-ground voice in a national conversation about HIV prevention access — and the systemic obstacles still standing in the way.
