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September 21, 2006
SENATORS! AMEND DO NOT EXTEND RYAN WHITE!
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Senator Lautenberg leads an effort to turn back the clock on Ryan White. |
Dear Senators,
Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) is planning to introduce a bill tonight to extend the Ryan White CARE Act through fiscal year 2007. The bill is co-sponsored by Senators Menendez (D-NJ), Schumer (D-NY), Clinton (D-NY), Obama (D-IL), Durbin (D-IL), and Nelson (D-FL). Although we applaud efforts to preserve funding at risk in the reauthorization process, Housing Works cannot support a measure that freezes AIDS treatment and care for another year.
For too long, people living with HIV/AIDS and frontline AIDS service providers have all made do with hopelessly inadequate funding. As of last week, nearly 200 people were on the wait list for drugs in South Carolina. Meanwhile, in New York, the over 125,000 people living with HIV/AIDS stand to loose $78 million in Title II funding over the next four years under the current Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006 (the bill to reauthorize Ryan White).
The "new" Ryan White cuts funding relied on by PLWAs, primarily in the original epicenters of AIDS. The "old" Ryan White shortchanges people newly infected, primarily living in rural areas and the Deep South. This geographic splitting is partisan politics at play. We will not sacrifice people living with HIV/AIDS anywhere in the country to bolster anyone's ratings at the polls this November.
The reauthorization bill could be on the floor of the Senate tonight. Congress must pass reauthorization before October, but the reauthorization must be just. These four clear fixes can and should be implemented as amendments:
1. EXPAND FUNDING BY $500M TO ENSURE ACCESS TO CARE NATIONWIDE
Stop playing regional politics and get the money we need to care for all Americans living with HIV/AIDS into this bill. We need a total of $500 million in additional funding to eliminate ADAP waiting lists, support areas with emerging epidemics, and protect access and quality in high-prevalence areas. This includes a $70 million increase for Title II base and an additional $197 million for ADAP - the amount identified by treatment experts as needed to allow all states to provide a minimum level of service to those in need.
2. EXTEND "HOLD HARMLESS" PROVISIONS TO FIVE YEARS
We must protect lifesaving HIV care systems from dramatic funding cuts that will put lives at risk - adequate new funding for emerging areas and assurance of continued support for high-prevalence epicenters will mean a reauthorization that everyone can support.
3. REVISE "CORE MEDICAL SERVICES" REQUIREMENT TO ALLOW SERVICES THAT SUPPORT TREATMENT ADHERENCE AND GOOD HEALTH
Housing, food, transportation and legal services are lifesavers - it's hard to stick to your meds if you're homeless, hungry, can't get to the doctor or are in danger of losing your home or kids. We must modify "core medical services" spending requirements to allow spending on supportive services that save lives.
4. KEEP THE FOCUS ON TREATMENT AND CARE - STRIP TESTING LANGUAGE OUT
We must reject attempts to use Ryan White to redirect CDC prevention funding and cement controversial HIV testing policies. Congress should eliminate the "Early Diagnosis Grant Program" section in current drafts of reauthorization legislation.
Housing Works calls on you to build support for a consensus reauthorization plan that will ensure lifesaving, quality HIV care to everyone in our nation living with HIV. Once we've passed the reauthorization, then we can all work towards a plan for universal access by 2010.
Sincerely,
Charles King
President, Housing Works