Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2007. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Associated Press - December 20, 2007
Richelle Starnes got the news in a personal call from the surgeon general of the Navy Wednesday night.
"I just broke down and started crying. This has been very stressful for me and for my family, but there have been a lot of people who have made me continue to fight for what I was promised," Starnes said Thursday.
Starnes, 27, was born HIV positive after her mother contracted HIV from a blood transfusion. A Navy doctor missed signs Starnes' mother was having complications during her pregnancy, and she was later rushed to a non-Navy hospital, where she required the blood transfusion. Starnes was born later.
Starnes had previously received a Navy designation that allowed her to get treatment for HIV. Recently, however, the Navy told her it would no longer pay for any inpatient hospital care she needs related to her condition or her medication, which she takes multiple times a day.
The Navy changed its stance after pressure from members of Florida's Congressional delegation including U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and U.S. Rep. Tom Feeny. Nelson wrote Defense Secretary Robert Gates seeking help for Starnes. Feeny introduced a private bill in the U.S. House to provide her lifetime care.
Dan McLaughlin, a spokesman for Nelson, said staffers from the senators' office had been involved in the case from the beginning.
"We appealed through the proper channels and got rejected twice. Bill himself got involved last month," he said.
The medications cost Starnes $1,700 through her husband's insurance, they would cost $4,500 if the couple did not have insurance. The couple has a 17-month old son.
071220
AP071250
Copyright © 2007 - 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, and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information.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.
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, 2007. 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. .