Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) yesterday introduced the HIV Treatment Improvement Act. "This is needed legislation designed to respond to new treatment opportunities created by our investment in AIDS research," Pelosi said.
Recent research sponsored by the National Institutes of Health has established that the amount of HIV in the blood (viral load) is directly related to the risk of an individual developing symptoms of AIDS and dying. The Department of Health and Human Services recently released new HIV treatment guidelines. The guidelines recommend treatment with at least three drugs in combination, including at least one protease inhibitor. A recent study has found that taking fewer than three drugs once therapy is initiated will likely fail.
"This legislation will insure that federally funded HIV treatment programs conform to the new HIV treatment guidelines. First, the bill improves and expands access to care under Medicaid by establishing a limited benefit for people who are HIV-infected and by establishing federal guidelines to get the recommended drugs to those who need them," Pelosi said. This would allow the early and aggressive treatment recommended in the new guidelines to be covered under Medicaid. The cost of this Medicaid expansion would likely be offset by savings in more expensive hospital care under Medicaid when people are not treated early and the obvious savings to federal income support programs like SSI by preventing disability.
The legislation also improves the Ryan White CARE program which funds primary care, support services and therapeutic drugs for people with HIV. Included in the Ryan White program is the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) which reimburses the high cost of AIDS drugs for people who are not covered by private insurance, Medicaid, or other programs and have limited resources. "Unfortunately, some states have adopted policies inconsistent with the new guidelines, like covering only two drugs or treating only those with advanced AIDS. This legislation corrects these problems by setting federal minimum drug coverage and prohibiting states from adopting policies medically inconsistent with the new guidelines," Pelosi said.
"The AIDS epidemic is not over; nor is it static. Now is the time to respond to these new opportunities by expanding access and improving the quality of HIV care," Pelosi said.
The HIV Treatment Improvement Act is designed to:
1) Have federally funded HIV treatment conform to new HIV Treatment Guidelines.
2) Improve and expand HIV treatments under Medicaid.
3) Improve and expand HIV treatment under the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).
Thirty-three House Members signed on as original cosponsors of the legislation, including House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt (D-MO).
