Senate Renews Ryan White CARE Act
New Program for the Post-Incarcerated
Cuts in AIDS Treatment Program Could Endanger Utahns
Illinois Medicaid Requires Referrals from Primary Care Providers
Senate Renews Ryan White CARE Act
The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, chaired by Tom Harkin (D-IA), passed the “Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009” on September 30. The bill would extend the Ryan White Program for four years, providing crucial health care, medications, and support services to over 530,000 low-income people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States. The bill passed the Committee unanimously.
Michael Ruppal, Executive Director of The AIDS Institute commented, “The AIDS Institute recognizes that extending the authorization of the Ryan White Program is only the first step in providing the necessary care, treatment and support services for people with HIV/AIDS. We now must work with the Administration and the Congress to properly fund the program. With state and local budget cuts and people losing their health insurance due to the economic downturn, additional federal resources will be a necessity.”
The House is proposing an increase of $54 million to the Ryan White Program, or just 2.2%, while the Senate is proposing an increase of $35 million, or just 1.6%. Ruppal added, “Now is not the time to provide minimal increases to vital programs that save lives, improve health outcomes and decrease long-term costs.”
The Senate’s action, along with the House’s passing of a continuing resolution, which extends the deadline for renewal to October 30, gives those living with and impacted by HIV time to call, write, or e-mail their Congressional representatives, both House and Senate, to urge them to approve increases in funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, as well as keep fighting to achieve true health care reform.
For contact information for your elected officials, go to www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml
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New Program for the Post-Incarcerated
Test Positive Aware Network (TPAN) and the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), in conjunction with the National Library of Medicine (NLM) AIDS Community Outreach Project, are launching an online education and service referral program for Illinois persons living with HIV who have been incarcerated. The program is called PEERSpeak – Peer Empowerment Education Referral Station – and covers HIV-related issues specific to post-incarcerated people. Individuals will be able to visit the interactive site to learn about HIV basics, disclosure, and treatment, as well as to receive information on specific organizations which provide services to HIV-positive people who have been in the corrections system.
Stay tuned to www.tpan.com and www.aidschicago.org for the launch of the program.
For more information, call Joe Benjamin at TPAN at 773-989-9400, ext 238.discuss this news brief in our discussion forum
Cuts in AIDS Treatment Program Could Endanger Utahns
According to a story by Sheena Mcfarland in The Salt Lake Tribune, state cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) will leave 100 HIV-positive people desperately looking for ways to pay for their HIV medications. Facing a $375,000 deficit, Utah's ADAP and the Utah Department of Health have tightened eligibility requirements.
Michael Berry, who has battled AIDS for 20 years, would have to pay $4,260 per month for the Atripla and Isentress that are keeping his illness in check. "I want to keep fighting, I don't want to die," Berry said. "But what the hell do you do when they come out of nowhere and tell you the money is gone?"
Like many ADAPs across the nation, Utah’s fund has been “struggling for the past several years as the level of federal funding has stayed at about $1.4 million while the number of applicants and costs for drugs and insurance have steadily increased. Each year, some services have been cut.” This year, the program has been forced to cut people, most of whom are uninsurable because of their “pre-existing condition.”
The situation is infuriating for Toni Johnson, executive director of the People with AIDS Coalition of Utah. She lobbied the Utah State Legislature unsuccessfully for an infusion of $275,000. The Utah Department of Health shortsightedly told several legislators they didn't need more money. Michael Lowe, ADAP administrator for the health department, explained that their projections didn't predict the 45% increase in applicants and a $100,000 drop in federal funding.
As is the case with health insurance, the ones who will suffer the most are the ones, like Berry, who “make too much” to qualify for financial assistance, and yet still can’t begin to afford to pay for their medications.
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Illinois Medicaid Requires Referrals from Primary Care Providers
In 2006, Illinois Medicaid began the Illinois Health Connect Primary Care Case Management (PCCM) program. Illinois Health Connect assigns most Medicaid enrollees to a medical home, a primary care physician (PCP) who is responsible for managing the patient’s care. Several thousand people with HIV on Medicaid are enrolled in Illinois Health Connect.
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) estimates the program saved $100 million in 2008 and is now determined to build upon the program’s success.
Beginning October 1 in Northwestern Illinois, all Illinois Health Connect patients will be required to see their own primary care provider for medical care. A patient will need a referral to see any other primary care provider. Providers will not be paid if they treat another provider’s patient without a referral (except in an emergency). However, patients may continue to see specialists, including HIV specialists, without a referral.
HFS says that the referral requirement is in place so “the patient’s Primary Care Provider (PCP) becomes familiar with [their patient’s] medical needs and ensures they receive the necessary preventive and primary care, including immunizations and screening, thus improving the quality of care for the patient through better coordination and management of services by the PCP.”
Referrals will be required in Cook County and Chicago beginning February 1, 2010. The program will be implemented statewide by April 1, 2010.
If you have questions, contact the Illinois Health Connect hotline: 1-877-912-1999.
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