Support
Funding Increase for HIV/AIDS Programs
August 28, 2003
ISSUE AT HAND When
Senators return from the August recess, one of the first
bills they
are expected to consider is the Labor, Health and Human Services,
and Education Appropriations bill. Included in this bill
are the funding levels for the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s (CDC) HIV/AIDS programs and the AIDS Drug
Assistance Program (ADAP), which is funded through Title
II of the Ryan White CARE Act. The
President’s
budget request for FY04 proposed a $9.3 million cut in funding
for CDC’s HIV/AIDS programs, and both the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees have provided flat funding for
the programs in their respective Labor/HHS bills. However,
the HIV/AIDS community has identified the need for a $300.4
million increase for these programs in order to significantly
reduce the rate of new infections. AIDS policy experts have
also determined that a $283 million increase is needed for
ADAP in FY04, to keep the program stable. Currently there
are nearly 600 people on ADAP waiting lists across the country,
and Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Kentucky,
Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, South Dakota and West Virginia
have already capped enrollment. New York, Washington, and
Oklahoma have begun restricting access to programs through
the lowering of financial eligibility caps and reducing formularies.
Plus, at least six other states (including Texas and California)
have said they expect to implement new restrictions. In the fall, the Senate will
also begin consideration of the Veterans Affairs and Housing
and Urban Development (HUD) Appropriations bill. This bill
includes funding for the Housing Opportunities for People
with AIDS Program (HOPWA). The House-passed VA/HUD Appropriations
bill funded the program at $302 million. However, the National
AIDS Housing Coalition has estimated that it would take approximately
$350 million to fund the current housing initiatives for
those living with HIV/AIDS. Therefore, it is important that
the Senate include a higher funding level in its bill. ACTION NEEDED CDC’s HIV/AIDS Programs and ADAP Please
call or write to both of your U.S. Senators and request
that, when the Senate considers the Labor/HHS
Appropriations bill, they support an increase of $300.4 million
in federal support for the CDC’s HIV prevention programs
and a $283 million increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance
Program. HOPWA Please call or write
the members of the Senate VA/HUD Subcommittee and request
that they follow the recommendation made by the National
AIDS Housing Coalition by allocating $350 million to the
Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Program (HOPWA)
when they consider the VA/HUD Appropriations bill. (For a
list of subcommittee members, please see: http://appropriations.senate.gov/subcommittees/vahud/topics.cfm?code=va_hud) To
send a letter through NASW’s Congress Web,
please refer to: https://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/grassroots/congressweb.asp BACKGROUND CDC’s HIV/AIDS Programs The CDC recently released
an ambitious new initiative to prevent new HIV infections
and to identify HIV-positive persons who may not be aware
of their infection. The four strategies of the initiative
consist of making HIV testing a routine part of medical care,
implementing new models for diagnosing HIV infections outside
medical settings (including the use of HIV rapid tests),
further decreasing perinatal transmission, and preventing
new infections by working with persons who are HIV positive
and their partners. These strategies cannot be achieved without
a substantial increase in funding. Currently,
CDC’s funding
level is inadequate to fund initiatives to reduce the number
of new HIV infections each year, as well as programs that
serve persons living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 40,000
new cases of HIV are reported every year, and advances in
prevention have been minimal. AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
ADAP is funded through
Title II of the Ryan White CARE Act, and provides access
to HIV/AIDS medication treatment for low-income people living
with HIV/AIDS who are uninsured or without adequate prescription
drug coverage. Currently, many state ADAPs are in financial
crisis, with 35 states reporting some type of restriction
or limits to treatment access, including the use of waiting
lists. Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS Housing
is a critical component in establishing a continuum of
care for those living with HIV/AIDS. A stable
place to live has far-reaching impacts on this population’s
physical and emotional well-being. The need for increased
funding for HOPWA is only reiterated by proposals to downsize,
limit or transition services provided by other housing programs.
Currently, most cities supplement the services provided through
HOPWA by collaborating with other housing or social service
programs. The House VA/HUD Appropriations Subcommittee proposed
funding for the program at $297 million. However, due to
support from Rep. Nadler (D-NY) and others, HOPWA received
an increase of $5 million (to $302 million) through an amendment
offered on the House floor. This is a definite improvement,
although the National AIDS Housing Coalition has estimated
that it would take approximately $350 million to fully fund
the current housing initiatives for those living with HIV/AIDS. To read more about HOPWA and ADAP, please
refer to the June 2003 issue of NASW’s Poverty and Social
Justice Practice Update on HIV/AIDS and Homelessness: http://www.socialworkers.org/practice/peace/psj0703.pdf If you have additional questions regarding
these programs, please contact Ann Bradford, NASW senior
government relations associate, at abradford@naswdc.org or
202-336-8237. |
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