Gilead Sciences and Bristol-Myers Squibb have announced that the co-payment assistance program for Atripla (containing efavirenz, tenofovir and emtricitabine) has been revised and will essentially benefit all people living with HIV with private health insurance who pay any out-of-pocket co-payment fees. The greatly enhanced co-payment program went into effect July 1.

Previously, the program—which can reduce a person’s out-of-pocket co-payment at the pharmacy by $200—didn’t kick in until after a person had paid the first $50 of his or her co-pay. As most people with private health insurance have individual drug co-payments of less than $50, many privately insured individuals using Atripla weren’t able to benefit from the program. Now the program will cover a person’s co-payment beginning with the first dollar, widely expanding the number of people who are eligible for this assistance.

As before, the program will cover up to $200 of a person’s co-payment each month. The program is limited to people with private health insurance.