Health insurance usually covers most of the cost of your prescription drugs. The best way to get health insurance is to go to work for an employer who provides it. If you do not work, or your employer does not offer health coverage, check if you qualify for any public health insurance programs (see below). If you do not, you may be able to buy an individual insurance plan.

Most insurance plans include some drug coverage. However, co-pays add up. You can often save money by ordering your prescriptions through mail-order pharmacies. Speak to your insurance carrier about this option. (If you use mail order, plan ahead so you do not run out of your medications.)

The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) is funded by the federal government to help pay for HIV drugs for people who might not be able to afford them otherwise. Your local ADAP office can let you know which drugs it pays for and what the income limits are for your state.

Some states have a waiting list for ADAP. While in other states, the ADAP program is big enough to even cover some medical care and non-HIV medications such as those used to manage side effects.

Medicaid is a government-sponsored insurance program that covers healthcare and medications. If you are disabled, not working, or earning little money, you may qualify for Medicaid. Like ADAP, each state has its own program so you will need to talk to a local Medicaid worker in order to apply.

Some disabled HIV+ women have another type of government-sponsored insurance called Medicare. Medicare does not pay for medications so you will still need programs like Medicaid or ADAP. 

Drug companies run Patient Assistance, Expanded Access, and Compassionate Use Programs. Each company has its own rules for deciding how the program works. Your doctor will need to complete applications in order for you to apply. 

Patient Assistance Programs help people get medications that are already approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). If you qualify for the program, you will be able to get your medications without cost. Patient Assistance Programs are usually a short-term solution until another way of paying for the drug is arranged. However, this can be helpful if you are waiting for insurance or government benefits to begin. 

Expanded Access and Compassionate Use programs provide drugs that are not yet FDA approved to people who are in serious risk of illness or who have no other way to construct a good treatment regimen. The drugs are provided free of charge by the companies developing them through participating physicians.

A company will often create an Expanded Access Program just before the drug is about to be accepted by the FDA. The rules are the same for everyone using the program, while with Compassionate Use Programs, each case is looked at individually.

In some cases, you can get medications free of charge through a clinical trial. However, drugs being tested in clinical trials may not be FDA-approved, so there is some risk involved in taking an experimental treatment. You will also need to meet the entry criteria of a trial in order to be allowed to participate and you may not have control over which drugs you receive.

Clinical trials are important because they determine if a medication is safe and effective.  Some HIV drugs affect women’s bodies differently than men’s. If you take part in a clinical trial, you will help people to know more about how HIV and HIV drugs affect women. 

Being in a trial can mean answering extra questions and taking more time at the doctor’s office. Before joining a trial, make sure that it is the right decision for you. If you are joining primarily to have access to HIV drugs, speak to your doctor and get all the facts before relying on this method to get your drugs.

Buyers' clubs sell complementary treatments and supplements, at prices generally lower than retail. Many of them are nonprofit and some offer financial assistance if necessary. If you use supplements, buyers’ clubs can help cut costs. 

Some community organizations have money to help people in an emergency get the drugs they need on a short-term or one-time-only basis. Your local AIDS service organization may have a program that can assist you while you are waiting for insurance or government benefits.

Don’t take a friend’s drugs even if they are the same as yours. Your friend will run out early and may not be able to get the prescription refilled. In addition, it’s best to only take medications that were meant for you.

If you are having trouble getting your HIV drugs, talk to your doctor before you run out. He or she may have samples of drugs that will last you until a prescription program starts.

Don’t be embarrassed to ask your doctor or a treatment advocate or case manager from a local AIDS service organization to help you find short- and long-term options for getting the medications you need.