Washington Blade - November 23, 2001

BOSTON (AP) -- A state board ruled Nov. 14 that a man with HIV and end-stage liver disease should be covered by Medicaid for a liver transplant, siding with activists and some scientists who argued HIV wouldn't harm his chances of surviving the procedure. Despite conflicting opinions from experts, the procedure is "medically necessary" and is not "experimental" the Division of Medical Assistance Board of Appeals decided in a ruling that the activists called the first of its kind in the country. Bennett Klein of Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders said the scientific evidence the ruling endorses could help make the case in other states and with private insurance companies. "Certainly, for all Medicaid recipients, HIV status alone can no longer be a basis to refuse liver transplantation," he said. The unidentified 41-year-old from Boston, who also suffers from hepatitis C, was seeking a referral to the University of Pittsburgh transplant program. Thanks to medication, he does not have HIV symptoms, but is expected to die within months without a transplant due to liver failure.

Baltimore health commissioner Peter Beilenson said the city is implementing a program to monitor medication intake for people with HIV.

Baltimore effort hopes to slow drug-resistant HIV

BALTIMORE (AP) -- In an effort to combat the spread of drug-resistant strains of HIV that can develop due to inconsistent drug therapy, the city will begin a program to monitor whether some patients are taking their medication twice daily. The program will start with 200 patients in west Baltimore, who will receive their drugs in pharmacies or public health clinics, or from city vans. Health Department workers will watch patients actually swallow the pills, said Dr. Peter Beilenson, the city's health commissioner. Baltimore has about 6,000 residents living with AIDS, with a significant number not being successfully treated. An inconsistent drug regimen can allow a drug resistant strain of the AIDS virus to survive.

AIDS group in California awarded $1.4 million

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Center for AIDS Research, Education & Services has been awarded a $1.4 million federal grant to be used over the next three and a half years to enhance programs for people of color living with HIV/AIDS, the Sacramento Bee reported. The Health Resources & Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awarded the money. Sacramento County Health Officer Glennah Trochet told the Bee that an estimated 2,000 people in the county are living with HIV but not receiving adequate health care.

Conference to address smoking level among gays

NEW ORLEANS -- Eliminating the disparity of smoking in the gay community and addressing diversity will be one of five key themes of the 2001 National Conference on Tobacco or Health, to be held Nov. 27-29 in New Orleans. National leaders and experts participating in the conference will address the specific challenges facing the lesbian, gay male, bisexual, and transgender population, according to a conference news release. Cheryl Healton, president and CEO of the American Legacy Foundation, will speak on "Tobacco as a Social Justice Issue." Anne Landman of the American Lung Association of Colorado will provide background on the tobacco industry's involvement with the gay community. Perry Stevens, an independent consultant for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, will speak on "Why Lesbians and Gays Are Particularly Vulnerable to Tobacco Industry Marketing." A panel of researchers, tobacco control experts and gay advocates will present practices for tobacco control prevention and control among gay populations, including research findings from a community-academic project and specific challenges among gay communities of color. Information will also be available on how to collaborate with the Gay American Smoke Out. For more information, visit the conference Web site at www.tobaccocontrolconference.org.

Medi-Cal offers to cover new HIV treatment

SACRAMENTO (AP) -- California's Medi-Cal program will begin covering a newly approved drug for the treatment of HIV, officials said Nov. 13. The drug is also now available to those enrolled in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program that provides medication for individuals earning less than $50,000 annually. The state began offering coverage 17 days after the federal Food & Drug Administration approved the use of Viread for use by patients who have not responded well to other drugs, or who have developed resistance to other therapy. The drug also known by its generic name, tenofovir, has been added to Medi-Cal's list of drugs that health care providers can prescribe without prior approval. Reimbursement approval is retroactive to Oct. 26, the day the drug was approved by the FDA.

-- From staff and wire reports
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