(Photo from CVSHealth.com)
ORLANDO | In recognition of National HIV Testing Day, CVS Health, in collaboration with Gilead Sciences, will offer vouchers for no-cost HIV testing at participating stores in its Orlando-area MinuteClinic at CVS HealthHUB locations from June 29-July 13.
“Gilead Sciences is committed to helping end the HIV epidemic in the United States,” said Manny Rodriguez, associate director for HIV communications at Gilead Science, in an email. “As part of this commitment, we are proud to provide free HIV screenings from June 29-July 13 in collaboration with CVS Health at select locations to help expand access to free HIV testing.”
Drexel A. Shaw, National HIV Liaison for CVS Health Pharmacy, says it is essential to know one’s status and acknowledged the importance of testing as self-care and to help minimize the high numbers of infections in Florida.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2020, Florida reached 114,000 people diagnosed with HIV, of which 4,378 were new cases among minority groups, especially within the LGBTQ, Black and Hispanic populations.
What has concerned authorities is that these numbers are most concentrated in only five Florida cities, ranked among the 20 hotspots in the country: Miami, Jacksonville, Palm Beach, Tampa and Orlando.
“Numbers are way too high,” Shaw says. “Statistically compared to other regions in the country, which may have a large population but might not have as high HIV diagnosis as Florida.”
Due to the high number of infections, The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services put together the Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative, aiming to eliminate 90% of new HIV infections in the U.S. by 2030.
Shaw says these are attainable numbers, but it will require everyone’s involvement, including politicians and health service companies.
“Many individuals in the Orlando area and across the country have not just disproportion access to HIV testing,” he says. “But also, it is disproportionate access to treatment due to insurance-related issues, as well as the awareness and education.”
Because of this, CVS has protocols in place to ensure that anyone who tests positive for HIV at one of their clinics will have access to needed resources. The clinic staff follows specific steps to link an individual to a primary care provider, and the provider refers the individual to an infectious disease clinic.
“Once the individual tested positive, there is follow-up testing with a provider using the voucher program,” Shaw says. “Specifically, it pays for not just the test, but the follow-up visits at that MinuteClinic. And so, there is a standard procedure for that regardless of insurance status.”
If someone has no insurance at all, CVS can also link the person to a community provider within the MinuteClinic network that is reputable in that area.
In order to receive the CVS no-cost HIV testing voucher, there are a few steps to follow.
Anyone age 18 or older, can download a no-cost HIV test voucher onto their mobile device from the CVS website, and choose between the option to test in a private examination room at a MinuteClinic at the CVS HealthHUB location, or receive a referral to a participating lab for a no-cost test. Then, the individual will receive either a rapid 15-minute test or a blood test in which the practitioner will schedule a follow-up and confidential consultation regarding the results.
If someone does not have access to a cellphone or is unable to download the online voucher, CVS practitioners at participating locations can still assist in person. They can help an individual get a coupon and test the same day if an appointment is available; otherwise, they will help to make an appointment for the next available date.
For more information, go to CVSHealth.com.
