As a gay man, the Boston
attorney thought he was doing the responsible thing when he asked his
doctor to prescribe Truvada, a drug hailed as a way to halt the spread
of AIDS. But when he
tried to get long-term care insurance, Mutual of Omaha turned him down,
saying they do not offer coverage to anyone who takes it.
Now, the man is planning to sue the insurer, alleging he was
discriminated against because he is gay. He filed a complaint Wednesday
with the Massachusetts Commission Against discrimination, the first step in a lawsuit.
The man, who is identified only as John Doe in the
complaint, said he wants to make sure that he and anyone else taking
Truvada can get long-term care insurance, which covers daily,
extended-care services for people with chronic illnesses or
disabilities.
He also wants to ensure that people are not deterred from using Truvada because they fear they will face discrimination.
“I was shocked. I really was,” Doe told The Associated Press
in interview at the offices of Gay & Lesbian Advocates &
Defenders, a Boston-based
legal group who is representing him. He spoke on condition of anonymity
because his complaint contains private medical information.
“I thought maybe they misunderstood me. I’m HIV-negative. I’m not HIV-positive. I was taking Truvada as a prophylactic.”
Bennett Klein, director of GLAD’s AIDS Law Project, calls the decision “nonsensical.”
Life insurance company denies coverage to man taking Truvada – LGBTQ Nation
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