Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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Washington Blade - August 10, 2007
Elizabeth Perry
Lead sponsors of Early Treatment for HIV Act, known as ETHA, introduced Aug. 2, are House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) and Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.). The bill was first introduced in 1999 and is modeled after the Breast and Cervical Cancer Prevention Act of 2000, which gives women on Medicaid who were diagnosed with breast and cervical cancer early access to treatment.
The newest ETHA house bill has not been assigned a number yet, but it has bipartisan support from 54 Republicans and Democrats. A companion bill under the number S860 was introduced in the Senate March 13 by Sens. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and had 31 cosponsors as of July 10. It was read twice and referred to the Senate Finance Committee the same day it was introduced.
Two of the groups engaged in getting the act passed are the Treatment Access Expansion Project (TAEP) and the National Association of People with AIDS. According to a joint media release, the ramification of the measure could reduce AIDS-related deaths by 50 to 60 percent, lower viral levels and the potential of HIV transmission by 60 percent and reduce annual treatment costs associated with the virus,
"A sound domestic health policy on HIV/AIDS must ensure early access to care and treatment to all Americans," said Frank Oldham Jr., executive director of the association. "No one should die on a waiting list for access to treatment. ETHA will enable us to remove barriers to early-intervention health care and generate savings for our communities and our health care system. It's the right and compassionate thing to do."
Robert Greenwald, director of TAEP, said people with HIV and AIDS are living healthier, more productive lives thanks to better treatment options. He said that when people get into treatment early, the progression of the disease is slowed and it becomes a chronic health condition. He noted that some people have lived 23 years since they were first diagnosed with HIV.
Uninsured, poor and low-income people with HIV may need to rely heavily on Medicaid to fund their treatment. Although the federal government jointly funds it, each state administers its own program's guidelines about eligibility and services. According to TAEP, states have collaborated with Medicare and Medicaid to offer alternative programs to offer people with HIV early access to care.
With the cooperation of Medicare and Medicaid, various states have implemented other programs that offer early care and treatment to non-disabled people with HIV.
Greenwald said that treating a person with HIV costs approximately $12,000 each year, compared to someone with full-blown AIDS, which costs approximately $36,000, not including hospitalization. It is in the area of state funding that many people with the disease encounter a Catch-22 in terms of treatment.
"Medicaid eligibility rules require most people to become disabled by AIDS before they become eligible for the Medicaid care that could have prevented their HIV disease from progressing to AIDS," he said. "HIV is still one of the largest public health problems in the country."
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Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2007. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
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