Affordable Care Act Qualified Health Plan Coverage: Association With Improved HIV Viral Suppression for AIDS Drug Assistance Program Clients in a Medicaid Nonexpansion State

BACKGROUND With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, many state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) shifted their healthcare delivery model from direct medication provision to purchasing qualified health plans (QHPs). The objective of this study was to characterize the demographic and healthcare delivery factors associated with Virginia ADAP clients' QHP enrollment and to assess the relationship between QHP coverage and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) viral suppression. METHODS The cohort included persons living with HIV who were enrolled in the Virginia ADAP (n = 3933). Data were collected from 1 January 2013 through 31 December 2014. Multivariable binary logistic regression was conducted to assess for associations with QHP enrollment and between QHP coverage and viral load (VL) suppression. RESULTS In the cohort, 47.1% enrolled in QHPs, and enrollment varied significantly based on demographic and healthcare delivery factors. In multivariable binary logistic regression, controlling for time, age, sex, race/ethnicity, and region, factors significantly associated with achieving HIV viral suppression included QHP coverage (adjusted odds ratio, 1.346; 95% confidence interval, 1.041-1.740; P = .02), an initially undetectable VL (2.809; 2.174-3.636; P < .001), HIV rather than AIDS disease status (1.377; 1.049-1.808; P = .02), and HIV clinic (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS QHP coverage was associated with viral suppression, an essential outcome for individuals and for public health. Promoting QHP coverage in clinics that provide care to persons living with HIV may offer a new opportunity to increase rates of viral suppression.