Next Tuesday, August 18th, marks a momentous milestone in the world of HIV--the 25th anniversary of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The Ryan White CARE Act has undergone five legislative reauthorizations (1996, 2000, 2006, 2009, and 2013) and is now known as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RW Program).
Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RW Program)
The Ryan White CARE Act was passed by Congress in 1990 in response to the growing number of new HIV diagnoses, more people progressing to AIDS, and a vast majority of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) were uninsured or not adequately insured facing insurmountable medical costs.
The RW Program by its 'Parts'
Part A funds may be used to provide continuum of care (medical and psychosocial support services) for people living with HIV. Core medical and support services are limited to:
- Outpatient and ambulatory medical care
- AIDS drug assistance program
- AIDS pharmaceutical assistance
- Oral health
- Early intervention services
- Health insurance premium and cost-sharing assistance for low-income individuals
- Medical nutrition therapy
- Hospice Services
- Home and community-based health services
- Mental health services
- Substance abuse outpatient care
- Home health care
- Medical case management, including treatment adherence services
Part B funds core medical services and support services. Support services that are needed for people with HIV/AIDS to achieve their medical outcomes include respite care for caregivers of people with HIV/AIDS, outreach services, medical transportation, linguistic services, and referrals for health care and support services.
Core medical services include:
- Outpatient and ambulatory health services
- ADAP
- AIDS pharmaceutical assistance
- Early intervention services
- Health insurance premium and cost-sharing health services
- Mental Health
- Outpatient substance abuse care
- Medical Case Management
- HIV Treatment adherence services
Part C funds cover the following:
- Primary care providers
- Lab, x-ray, and other diagnostic tests
- Medical and dental equipment and supplies
- Patient education in conjunction with medical care
- Transportation for clinical care providers to provide care
- Other HIV/AIDS-related clinical and diagnostic services and periodic medical evaluations of people with HIV/AIDS
- HIV post-test counseling
Sadly, I speak with many people living with HIV or not that have no recollection of who Ryan White is or is simply known as that kid with AIDS from the 80s. In 1984, at the age of 13, Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS. At the time, Ryan was living with his mother, Jeanne, in a small blue-collar Indiana town, Kokomo, where they were instantly met with fear, prejudice, discrimination, and hate. He experienced instant stigma due to little to no HIV/AIDS-specific education. Ryan was barred from school in Kokomo and local parents only perpetuated the stigma by keeping their kids out of school until he was removed. Finally, the energy in their town became so toxic that the family moved to a more accepting town.
Ryan was diagnosed in that first wave of AIDS and died, at the age of 18, in 1990, just months before Congress passed the Ryan White CARE Act. Ryan White became a voice for AIDS but should be remembered as a young man who was more than a voice for AIDS and as the son of his mother Jeanne, who is an amazing HIV activist in her own right! Read about Ryan in her own words here.
On a personal note, I remember Ryan White and the intense fear of the time. In 1984, I was 10 years old and had recently moved from California to Wabash, Indiana, which is a small town less than an hour from Kokomo and Ryan White. The stigma and ignorance was so rampant that my classmates and I were introduced to AIDS because the fear of the disease spreading to surrounding schools was real. Ryan was my introduction to the world of AIDS, the power of stigma, and the need for education. To learn more about Ryan, visit http://www.ryanwhite.com.
Bryan Heitz
Risk Reduction Specialist
No comments:
Post a Comment