February 8, 2005

Bill Provides Medicaid Coverage for Low-Income Sufferers

Washington, DC – Today, Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act of 2005 (ETHA) which provides states the option to extend Medicaid coverage to low-income, HIV positive Americans before they develop full-blown AIDS. In Oregon there are approximately 4500 people living with HIV/AIDS, an estimated 40% of whom do not receive care for their disease.

“Today’s unacceptable reality is that most patients must become disabled before they can qualify for Medicaid coverage,” Smith said. “In Oregon, there are approximately 150 newly detected HIV infections annually, we desperately need to provide early treatment to these individuals.”

In a study conducted by Pricewaterhouse Coopers it was determined that providing early intervention care significantly delays the progression of HIV, and that ETHA could reduce the death rate by 60% for those living with HIV.

ETHA also provides states an enhanced federal Medicaid match that makes more federal money available for states that invest in treatments for HIV. This legislation helps states with struggling budgets, like Oregon, to provide medical treatment to low-income, HIV positive people in need.

“The tragedy of HIV infection touches the lives of millions of people living in every state. Some get the proper medications, but too many do not,” said Smith. “This is literally a life and death issue, and ETHA can help many more Americans live longer healthier lives.”

The Act would provide states with the option of covering low-income HIV infected individuals as ‘categorically needy’. In this regard, ETHA is similar to the successful Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Act, also championed by Smith, which provides states the option to extend Medicaid coverage to women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer.

Smith and Clinton also introduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act in 2003. The current bill has 27 co-sponsors and is supported by a wide range of organizations including the American Foundation for AIDS Research, the Human Rights Campaign, the Cascade AIDS Project, the Treatment Access Expansion Project, the AIDS Institute, and the American Academy of HIV Medicine.

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