Aug 03, 2007News: Early Treatment for HIV Act Reintroduced in U.S. House
By vanrozenheim
(USA) - US Representative Eliot Engel, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen reintroduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act (ETHA), a bipartisan bill that will save lives by allowing states to provide Medicaid coverage to low-income, HIV-positive US citizens. The bill was introduced with 54 original sponsors evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans. This bill addresses a cruel irony in healthcare coverage for low-income people living with HIV/AIDS. Despite the fact that Medicaid is the largest single provider of HIV/AIDS care in the U.S., currently, most adults with HIV are not eligible for Medicaid until they have progressed to full blown AIDS.
Without Medicaid coverage, many low-income US citizens are left without the critical care and medication needed to help slow the progression of the disease. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, enactment of this legislation would reduce the death rate among individuals on Medicaid living with HIV/AIDS by half over ten years.
"Americans should not have to be diagnosed with AIDS before they get the drugs that can delay the onset of AIDS in the first place," said Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese. "It is time for Congress to pass this common-sense legislation that would save countless lives. It is absolutely unacceptable that there are still Americans who are not able to access life saving medication to combat HIV/AIDS."
Providing treatment for those who are HIV positive early in the progression of the disease is not only cost-effective, but has numerous health benefits and will improve the quality of life for countless HIV positive individuals. Earlier this year, an ETHA demonstration program was included in the Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Resolution passed by Congress.
"We commend Speaker Pelosi and Representatives Engel and Ros-Lehtinen for their tremendous leadership and look forward to continuing our work together to expand access to care and treatment for all Americans living with HIV/AIDS," added Solmonese.
