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Lobbyists Push for Better HIV/AIDS Care

Published

11 years ago

March 18, 2014

According to the latest data released by the Center for Disease Control only 25 percent of people living with HIV in the U.S. have achieved viral suppression. In other words, three out of four people living with HIV nationwide still face significant health disparity gaps that continue to widen, and are related to both race and age.

African Americans are the least likely to be in ongoing care and to have the virus under control. Younger African Americans especially are least likely to have their virus in check. HIV care and viral suppression has been shown to improve with age, except among African Americans, aged 65 and older.

Eliminating gaps in care has become even more important as we have learned more about the impact of treatment on preventing the spread of HIV. We cannot adequately address gaps in care until Ryan White funding is following the epidemic.

The misguided decision to refuse the Medicaid expansion in many GOP led states, could disproportionately harm vulnerable populations. As HIV/AIDS continues to affect African Americans more than any other ethnic group in the U.S., advocates from southern states and rural America are concerned about poor life outcomes for people living with HIV in their cities.

For those left without coverage, the AIDS Assistance Program (ADAP) and The Ryan White Program, two federally funded programs many consider to be lifesavers, will continue to provide services.

Last week, I joined HIV advocates from areas that will have to rely on Ryan White Programs and we lobbied in Washington, successfully getting Congress to introduce a bill, “The Ryan White Patient Equity and Choice Act” that will require The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to study their formula and address the problem, of a disease that is geographically changing. The epidemic is really affecting African Americans worse in southern states as well as states where access to care, racism and stigma remain the biggest barriers.

Geneva Galloway an advocate from Charlotte, NC., has lived with HIV for 28 years and works with the Faith community there. Galloway says her fight there is stigma. “The stigma in the south, she says, “is worse than the disease itself”

The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resource Emergency Act was originally passed by

Ryan White became a National poster Child for HIV/AIDS in the U.S. in the early 80s after contracting the HIV/AIDS infection through blood transfusions. He died one month before his high school graduation.

Congress in 1990. In the two decades since then, four reauthorizations of the Act have reflected the evolution of HIV/AIDS. In 1996 the Act ensured access to highly active antiretroviral therapy through a drug assistant program (ADAP).

Ed Jones from Texas, is hoping the bill passes, and felt it was time to make changes to Ryan White.

“The status quo harms Texas and many other states,” said Jones. “We cannot adequately address gaps in care because Ryan White funding is not following the epidemic.”

In 2000, reauthorization provided funds to ensure access to care. In 2006, the reauthorization sought to mitigate the high impact of the disease on African Americans and other minority communities. New incentives for HIV care retention were created in 2009. The new Act will evenly distribute the funds to all states based on the epidemic and not population.

Art Jackson, an HIV advocate from Fayetteville, North Carolina who celebrates 25 years of living after his diagnosis, says the bill will help more like him get the HIV care they need.

“This bill can help ensure that thousands in my area where the epidemic is growing can get the adequate HIV care,” said Jackson.

Eliminating gaps in care has become even more important as we have learned more about the impact of treatment on preventing the spread of HIV.

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Oakland Post: Week of July 2- 8, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 2 – 8, 2025

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4 days ago

July 7, 2025

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Trump Set to Sign Largest Cut to Medicaid After a Marathon Protest Speech by Leader Jeffries

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S.

Published

1 week ago

July 3, 2025

Oakland Post

By Lauren Burke

By a vote of 218 to 214, the GOP-controlled U.S. House passed President Trump’s massive budget and spending bill that will add $3.5 trillion to the national debt, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The bill also represents the biggest cut in Medicare in history and is a threat to the health care coverage of over 15 million people. The spending in Trump’s signature legislation also opens the door to a second era of over-incarceration in the U.S. With $175 billion allocated in spending for immigration enforcement, the money for more police officers eclipsed the 2026 budget for the U.S. Marines, which is $57 billion. Almost all of the policy focus from the Trump Administration has focused on deporting immigrants of color from Mexico and Haiti.

The vote occurred as members were pressed to complete their work before the arbitrary deadline of the July 4 holiday set by President Trump. It also occurred after Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries took the House floor for over 8 hours in protest. Leader Jeffries broke the record in the U.S. House for the longest floor speech in history on the House floor. The Senate passed the bill days before and was tied at 50-50, with Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski saying that, “my hope is that the House is gonna look at this and recognize that we’re not there yet.” There were no changes made to the Senate bill by the House. A series of overnight phone calls to Republicans voting against, not changes, was what won over enough Republicans to pass the legislation, even though it adds trillions to the debt. The Trump spending bill also cuts money to Pell grants.

“The Big Ugly Bill steals food out of the hands of starving children, steals medicine from the cabinets of cancer patients, and equips ICE with more funding and more weapons of war than the United States Marine Corps. Is there any question of who those agents will be going to war for, or who they will be going to war against? Beyond these sadistic provisions, Republicans just voted nearly unanimously to close urban and rural hospitals, cripple the child tax credit, and to top it all off, add $3.3 trillion to the ticking time bomb that is the federal deficit – all from a party that embarrassingly pretends to stand for fiscal responsibility and lowering costs,” wrote Congressional Black Caucus Chairwoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) in a statement on July 3.

“The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 17 million people will lose their health insurance, including over 322,000 Virginians. It will make college less affordable. Three million people will lose access to food assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). And up to 16 million students could lose access to free school meals. The Republican bill does all of this to fund tax breaks for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations,” wrote Education and Workforce Committee ranking member Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) in a statement. The bill’s passage has prompted Democrats to start thinking about 2026 and the next election cycle. With the margins of victory in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate being so narrow, many are convinced that the balance of power and the question of millions being able to enjoy health care come down to only several thousand votes in congressional elections. But currently, Republicans controlled by the MAGA movement control all three branches of government. That reality was never made more stark and more clear than the last seven days of activity in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate.