President Clinton Releases First-Ever National AIDS Strategy

12/20/96 FRI 19:00 FAX [phone]

AIDS POLICY

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CARE AND SERVICES
* Expanding the Infrastructure of MIV/AIDS Care
Nearly 200,000 Americans living with HIV/AIDS rely on the Ryan White
Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARB) Act for some or all of their
care. Funding for the CARE Act has been increased by 31.5 percent in FY 1997,
including a 221 percent rise in funding for AIDS Drag Assistance Programs
(ADAP). The Health Resources and Services Administration will work with state
and local governments and community-based organizations to ensure those new
funds significantly increase access to HIV treatment and care.
* Preserving Medicaid and Medicare
Medicaid provides health care coverage for more than 50 percent of Americans
living with AIDS and more than 90 percent of children with AIDS. The President
will continue to fight to preserve the vital Federal guarantee of eligibility for
medical coverage for people living with disabilities, including HIV/AIDS.
Medicare is a rapidly growing source of care for people living with AIDS and the
President will work with Congress to preserve the Medicare program without
harming beneficiaries. The Administration also is exploring options to make
Medigap insurance policies more accessible to people with disabilities.
* Assessing Social Security Administration Programs
Combination drug therapies show enormous potential for improving and extending
the length and quality of life of many people living with fflV/AIDS. This
progress will require an assessment of such programs as Supplemental Security
Income and Social Security Disability Insurance regarding their flexibility in
meeting the needs of individuals as they seek to move off and on to disability.
The Administration is exploring mechanisms to ensure that Federal programs
support people with disabilities who wish to return to work.
* Supporting Housing for People with AIDS
Without stable housing a person living with HIV has diminished access to care
and services and a diminished opportunity to live a productive life. The Housing
Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program is an essential element
of the HIV treatment safety net. Funding for HOPWA has increased 196 percent
in the last four years; reauthorization of the program and continued, stable
funding is a priority for the year ahead.

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