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September 28, 2007
HASA FOR ALL TAKES CITY HALL
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All for HASA! HASA for all! |
Until about 12:45 p.m. last Tuesday, most of the folks who work at City Hall had never heard of the HASA for All Act. But after 1 p.m., when some 700 passionate people from dozens of different AIDS organizations had gathered on its steps chanting "Housing is health care! Housing is a right!", City Hall got the message loud and clear: City officials must pass the HASA for All Act, which would extend NYC HIV/AIDS Services Administration (HASA) benefits and services including housing to HIV positive asymptomatic people. Currently, you must have a CD4 count under 200 or two AIDS-defining illnesses to receive full HASA assistance.
"We cannot accept that people with HIV are unable to access the services they need," Councilmember Mathieu Eugene said in his speech. "This is not just good public policy but the opportunity to do the right thing." Eugene was joined at the rally by Councilmember Annabel Palma who introduced the legislation in September. Councilmembers Leticia James and Charles Barron were also on hand to show their support.
Housing is perhaps the most critical aspect of extending HASA benefits to people living with HIV because research proves that stable housing reduces HIV transmission. "There's some people in the building behind us who don't know the importance of this legislation. They don't know the law says you have to be really sick to get housing. But HASA should be for all the people," Dr. Marjorie Hill, CEO of Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC), told the crowd.
Unfortunately, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn remains blindly opposed to the HASA for All Act. In a statement released Tuesday, she said, "I recognize the need to provide the best care possible to HIV-positive homeless New Yorkers. However, I do not believe the HASA for All initiative is the best way to support HIV-positive homeless individuals or prevent the spread of this disease. Further, I am concerned this bill could set a wide-ranging precedent that would require additional costly benefits, diverting limited resources to an unnecessary mandate instead of allowing us to target funds where they are most needed..."
Read the rest: "HASA FOR ALL TAKES CITY HALL"
THE WAIT IS OVER
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Graham is no longer on a waiting list, but he's still waiting |
South Carolina's long, statewide nightmare is over. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SDHEC) announced last Friday that there is no longer a waiting list to receive essential HIV/AIDS medication. As recently as last April the list stretched to 567 people.
"Due to an influx of new funding during this fiscal year and the hard work of the ADAP staff, we have been able to clear the wait list and do not anticipate the need for a wait list for the remainder of this fiscal year," Lynda Kettinger, director of DHEC's STD/HIV division, said in a release.
"We're so excited about the end to the wait list," said Karen Bates, Campaign to End AIDS—South Carolina (C2EA) state representative. "Legislators here are finally taking HIV/AIDS seriously."
C2EA-South Carolina spearheaded a coalition that played a critical role in the state's remarkable ADAP turnaround. Last November, those groups intensified their protests in Columbia, the state's capital, after four people died while languishing on the ADAP waiting list. This year federal funding reduced the waiting list by 93 people, then in June, South Carolina state legislators passed a $7.4 billion budget that included $4 million new dollars for ADAP funding...
Read the rest: "THE WAIT IS OVER"
KIDS HEALTH VETO SHOWDOWN
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Bush says 'no' to millions of kids in need |
President George Bush says he'll whip out his veto pen for only the second time in the past seven years to block a bipartisan Congressional compromise on children's health insurance. It's a threat that could end health coverage across the country for over five million low-income children— and deny coverage to 3.8 million more kids who could get care under the bill — as soon as next week.
Compromise legislation funding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) passed the Senate Thursday afternoon by a veto-proof majority of 69-30, with 18 Republicans joining 50 Senate Democrats and Vermont's Independent Senator Bernie Sanders in favor of the bill.
But the House vote earlier in the week—265-159—was not enough to override a veto, setting up a showdown between the White House and the Capitol that could last for months. Democratic leaders in Congress are likely to include short-term funding for SCHIP in resolutions to pay for federal programs while this year's budget bills are completed.
The SCHIP program, along with Medicaid and Medicare, are essential elements in the effort to win universal health care for everyone in the United States. But contrary to propaganda from radical right-wingers, SCHIP isn't (sadly) really a stepping stone to single-payer universal care. Just about every dime of the $35B will go to HMOs and insurance companies.
The bill Bush is rejecting makes some good improvements in current coverage under SCHIP, including expanded coverage for mental health and dental services. It also adds coverage and services for thousands of uninsured pregnant moms...
Read the rest: "KIDS HEALTH VETO SHOWDOWN"
HIV/AIDS GETS (POTENTIALLY) PRESIDENTIAL TREATMENT
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Edwards thinks—and we agree—that an AIDS strategy is a good idea |
Iowan Tami Haught has been one of dozens of AIDS activists bird-dogging presidential candidates, and she had a particularly powerful exchange with presidential candidate John Edwards after one of his stump speeches. So Haught and other AIDS advocates were glowing this week when Edwards announced his comprehensive plan to fight AIDS in the U.S. and abroad, including a "National HIV/AIDS strategy."
"Other candidates need to follow Edwards' lead," Haught said."This is a wonderful start and I'm so glad that he paid attention to the concerns that have been raised."
Edwards' plan, which he discussed during an interview with the Kaiser Family Foundation Monday, includes many of the recommendations that AIDS experts have made to all the candidates in both parties: at least $50 billion to fight global AIDS with specific investments in health care workers, and support for the Global Fund universal health care. Edwards also announced his support for effective science-based prevention—including needle exchange.
"I would not impose the ideological limitations that we have seen in the Bush administration," Edwards said in the interview...
Read the rest: "HIV/AIDS GETS (POTENTIALLY) PRESIDENTIAL TREATMENT"
CHEAP AIDS MEDS, DOHA STYLE
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Doha, Qatar— Where Big Pharma got beat |
Over 100 HIV/AIDS, anti-poverty, health, faith, consumer, development, labor and fair-trade organizations delivered a letter to Congress this week demanding support for resolutions calling on the United States to reaffirm our nation's commitment to the 2001 Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health.
Senate Resolution 241 has been introduced by Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio and House Resolution 525 was introduced by Representative Tom Allen of Maine. You can get full info on the resolutions here.
This week's letter emphasizes the importance of access-to-medicines issues for treating people with HIV/AIDS and maintaining the U.S. global AIDS program. Organizations endorsing the communique include Housing Works, the American Medical Student Association, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Essential Action, Global AIDS Alliance, HealthGAP, Knowledge Ecology International, Oxfam America, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch, Sojourners/Call to Renewal, the Student Global AIDS Campaign, the United Methodist Church, United Steelworkers and USPIRG.
Read the rest: "CHEAP AIDS MEDS, DOHA STYLE"
YOU WILL BE TESTED
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Alcatrez is the only federal prison where written informed consent should no longer apply |
The Stop AIDS in Prison Act(H.R. 1943), passed by a voice vote Wednesday in the House of Representatives. Despite the praise some AIDS groups have given this legislation, which will amp up HIV testing in federal prisons, there's one crucial element missing: written informed consent.
The bill, introduced by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), seeks to increase HIV testing in federal prisons by providing routine testing, with pre-and-post test counseling to prisoners leaving and entering facilities, as well as upon pregnancy or request. Waters listened to input by HIV/AIDS advocates when it came to including an opt-out provision (so those who don't want to be tested cannot be punished) and strengthening counseling. However, Waters didn't include written informed consent for testing, so prisoners can be tested consent with only their verbal permission.
"There's no way to fight HIV while short-changing basic human rights and informed consent for medical tests and treatment," said Christine Campbell, Housing Works director of National Advocacy. "America's history of experiments and ill-treatment of people who are incarcerated and people of color should lead us to be more careful in this area, not less. We need to make sure that everyone at risk in prison can get tested, but we need to respect their rights and their dignities in the process...."
Read the rest: "YOU WILL BE TESTED"
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE
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The East New York Gospel Choir shows Housing Works' fighting spirit |
Housing Works is (in)famous for its fierce advocacy so it was no surprise that our annual meeting at Harlem's Schomburg Center on Wednesday highlighted two of our ongoing battles: Making sure that all low-income New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS are protected from Draconian rent increases and expanding New York City's HIV/AIDS Services Administration benefits to include all low-income people with HIV (read all about both in our 2007 Annual Report.)
Although the meeting had its customary celebratory and commemorative mood—established by the East New York Gospel Choir out of our East New York Adult Day Health Center—Housing Works president and CEO Charles King reminded the community from the podium that HASA for All is the "single most important thing we can do to end the AIDS epidemic in New York City." An emotional video chronicled another major 2007 effort: Housing Works' campaign to reverse a Pataki-era policy imposing rent increases on people with HIV living in supportive housing—as well as noting our hopes of expanding rent protections and benefits to all poor people with HIV statewide. And Housing Works Chief Financial Officer Andrew Coamey pointed out that the organization would continue to dedicate five percent of its annual budget (which should work out to more than two million dollars) to advocacy and legal services.
"It was an opportune moment to talk about our advocacy because elected officials who can help us meet our goals were in the audience," said Housing Works Legislative Counsel Michael Kink. In attendance were New York City Councilmember Melissa Mark Viverito and State Senator Bill Perkins, both of whom serve Harlem, as well as a representative from New York congresswoman Yvette Clark's office, and a representative from City Councilmember Inez Dickens' office...
Read the rest: "COMMITMENT TO CHANGE"