Question
Are ARVs are free in USA for UK students?
25 June 2010. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, Travel.
Answer
Thank you for your question.
Free medication in the USA in only available to US residents who have a very low income. Even people with health insurance usually have to make additional payments for their drugs.
So if you are a student from the UK you would need to have health insurance, travel or pay privately, which can be very costly. A more straight-forward alternative is to continue getting your drugs prescribed in the UK from your regular doctor. This would mean making several trips home each year, and would only work for a short time.
Another possibility is that your university either in the UK or the US may provide health insurance to cover this.
The length of time you are hoping to study for would also have an effect on insurance. If you were planning to be in the USA for less than a year this could be easier.
If you want travel insurance is needed then there are some companies who cover HIV-positive people, although it is would not cover prescribing ARVs, unless it was due to loss or theft of drugs that you take with you.
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