Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press; Friday, December 5, 1997; 1:01 a.m. EST
Laura Meckler, Associated Press Writer
Officials had hoped the plan would pay for itself by keeping people healthy and saving money on future hospital care. But several proposals were tested and all were too expensive, Victor Zonana, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services, said Thursday.
Vice President Al Gore had promised AIDS activists last April that the government would give the plan serious consideration.
"If it works out, as I hope and expect it will, it can ease suffering, renew hope and help ensure that good people are not priced out of lifesaving medicine," Gore said at the time.
A new generation of AIDS drugs has proved incredibly successful for many people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, but the medicine costs $12,000 a year for each person treated.
People with AIDS now qualify for Medicaid coverage even if they are not poor enough to participate under the program's normal guidelines. But no such exception exists for people with HIV.
Zonana said Thursday that officials considered plans that would have provided Medicaid to people with HIV living at that poverty line and at 200, 250 and 300 percent above it.
"We kept running it with different assumptions but we weren't able to make it come out" revenue neutral, he said.
However, Zonana said the administration will continue its efforts to help people with HIV access the life-saving drugs. He noted that Medicaid is already the biggest payer for HIV drugs, helping 160,000 people with HIV and AIDS.
"We're still looking for innovative ways," he said. "Other doors are definitely opening."
He that funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program was boosted 71 percent to about $280 million this year.
971205
AP971206
Copyright © 1997 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 1997. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 1997. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .