NAPWA on The Budget

February 1, 2010

Washington, DC - The National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) expresses disappointment with the Obama Administration's proposed budget for federal fiscal year 2010-2011. With over 56,000 new HIV infections annually and the rising cost of medical care and other services, NAPWA believes the Administration needs to show stronger dedication to addressing the unmet care and treatment needs of persons living with HIV in the United States. We must have a budget which provides sufficient resources to save the lives of 1.1 million Americans living with HIV/AIDS.
Far too many persons living with HIV in the United States lack access to appropriate HIV health care. There are over 350 people on waiting lists for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) in Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Montana, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming. In the past, persons have died while on ADAP waiting lists. In many regions of the country, funding through Ryan White is often the only means to pay for health care and supportive services for many PLWHAs. Unfortunately, funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program increased only $40 million, with many Parts of the Ryan White program flat funded. The HIV community has called upon the Administration to provide at least $810 million in new resources to meet growing demand. The nation needs continued aggressive action on the part of the Obama Administration if we are to close the gap in access to treatment and care that exists for many persons living with HIV. It is estimated that 29% of persons living with HIV/AIDS in the United States are uninsured.

In addition, the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program received only a $5 million increase. In the light of flat funding across many federal programs, while NAPWA appreciates this small increase, it is also far too small to make any meaningful impact on the rising numbers of persons who are without access to stable housing. If the Administration is to address the dire need for housing that exists among many persons living with HIV, more federal resources are required in this program.

At the same time, NAPWA is very pleased that the budget includes a six-month extension of the temporary increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), the federal matching rate for Medicaid. The FMAP increase was set to expire on December 31, 2010; this proposal would extend much needed relief until June 2011. During this time of diminishing state coffers, states urgently need additional federal support to sustain their Medicaid programs. This proposal will inject an additional $25.5 billion dollars into state Medicaid programs.
NAPWA looks forward to working with Congress and the Administration to find more resources to meet the already significant unmet need for HIV primary medical care and supportive services that exists across the United States. Much of the HIV community was extremely pleased by the steps taken by the Obama Administration in the first year. The President has expressed and demonstrated leadership on behalf of the HIV community with such actions as the four year extension of the Ryan White Care Act and ending the HIV travel ban. However, this budget will need significant modification to fulfill the President's leadership in ending the AIDS epidemic in America.

Founded in 1983, NAPWA is the first coalition of people living with HIV/AIDS in the world as well as the oldest AIDS organization in the United States. NAPWA is the trusted, independent voice of the more than one million people living with HIV/AIDS in America. For more information, visit http://www.napwa.org/