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Gay Men's Health Crisis Statement
on
Ryan White CARE Act Reauthorization
Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) is actively committed to a
national safety net that ensures comprehensive, accessible,
quality HIV/AIDS care in every city, state, and region. Critical
HIV/AIDS services cannot be funded for some localities at the
expense of others. The version of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS
Treatment Modernization Act under consideration in Congress
would punish people living with HIV simply because they live
in "wrong" parts of the country. The current bill would adversely
affect tens of thousands of people in New York State, including
the 15,000 clients that GMHC serves.
GMHC stands firmly opposed to the bill in its current form.
Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee passed
a version of the Ryan White CARE Act (RWCA) that would have
a devastating impact on all of New York State and New York
City. The bill was then rushed through the Senate under a
unanimous consent agreement, preventing any debate or
amendments. We are grateful to those Senators who have put
a hold on the bill, allowing for time to address serious
concerns about this important legislation.
Under the bill's new funding calculations, areas seeing
a rise in HIV cases will receive an increase in their grants,
while many cities that remain epicenters of HIV/AIDS will face
devastating cuts. By conservative estimates, New York City,
which has more cases than Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco,
and Washington, D.C. combined, stands to lose roughly $18
million dollars in 2007. New York State is projected to
lose $78 million over the next four years.
Many HIV positive New Yorkers, including the many who use
GMHC's services, rely on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP),
established and maintained by Title II of the RWCA, to provide
lifesaving medications. With no waiting lists and a formulary
that covers not only antiretrovirals but other life-sustaining
prescriptions, New York State's ADAP has been among the strongest
in the nation and a model for the rest of the country. Instead
of ensuring that other states' ADAPs are strengthened to meet
this standard, the current bill instead lowers the bar and
leaves ADAP in New York and around the nation vulnerable to
deep cuts.
The Ryan White CARE Act was originally enacted in 1990
out of the understanding that federal funding was essential
for state and local governments to sustain HIV/AIDS care,
treatment, testing, counseling, and other support services.
The bill currently under consideration will destabilize, not
safeguard, the system of HIV care in New York City and State,
eroding the current safety net for thousands of New Yorkers.
© 2006 Gay Men's Health Crisis
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