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; Tuesday, December 9, 1997; 5:54 p.m. EST
Gore, who called for the initiative last spring, said efforts will continue to help people with HIV get the new generation of drugs. The drugs have proved highly effective in keeping patients healthier but cost about $12,000 per person per year.
"This administration understands the urgency of finding innovative ways to ensure that all people with HIV benefit from the promise of new and effective treatments," Gore said in a statement. He directed officials to keep looking for new strategies.
Last April, Gore promised AIDS activists that the government would seriously consider extending Medicaid to people with HIV.
But with no action to date, President Clinton's AIDS advisers issued a report over the weekend sharply critical of the administration's second-term AIDS activity.
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.
People with AIDS already qualify for Medicaid coverage because they are disabled, even if they are not poor enough to participate under the program's normal guidelines. No such provisions exist for people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.
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