HIV Health Care Access Working Group Alert

[Guest guest]

HIV Health Care Access Work Group

Action Alert

Help get badly needed extra Medicaid funding to states!

Background:

Leaders in Congress are currently negotiating a second economic stimulus bill. Earlier this year, Congress passed a bill that provided many Americans with refund checks but failed to include fiscal relief to states that are struggling to provide essential health services to low-income people.

Advocates are working hard to get a provision in the new stimulus bill that would give states a temporary increase in the percentage of matching federal funds for their Medicaid programs. Medicaid is the largest payer of health care for people with HIV/AIDS. 55% of people with AIDS, 44% of people with HIV, and 90% of children with HIV/AIDS rely on Medicaid for their health care and treatment.

Because of the economic downturn, states across the country have been forced to consider Medicaid cuts. These cuts have a direct impact on the comprehensive needs of people with HIV/AIDS and place an additional burden on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program and other White services.

This economic stimulus package must include proposals that protect health care for the nation’s most vulnerable people. Please call your elected representatives today and urge them to support increased Medicaid funding!

How you can help:

Call your U.S. Representative and two U.S. Senators in their Washington, DC office. Tell whoever answers the phone:

You urge the Representative/Senator to support a proposal in the economic stimulus bill that would give states a temporary increase in matching federal funds for their Medicaid programs.

This would help states maintain Medicaid eligibility and benefits during this tough economic period.

This is a very important issue for people with HIV/AIDS and other vulnerable populations.

Please tell leaders in Congress to ensure this provision is in the final stimulus bill.

You can call your Representative and Senators toll-free at 1-800-828-0498. You will get the Capitol Switchboard. If you have trouble getting through, you can try the regular phone number, 1-202-224-3121. Ask to be connected to your Representative/Senator’s office.

For more information about this Alert, contact Clary at rclary@...

The HIV Health Care Access Work Group (formerly the HIV Medicaid and Medicare Work Group is a coalition of 84 national and community-based AIDS services organizations that represent HIV medical providers, advocates, public health workers and people living with HIV/AIDS committed to ensuring that people living with HIV/AIDS have access to appropriate, cost-effective health care and drug treatment. For more information about the Work Group, contact the co-chairs, Greenwald rgreenwa@... or Hanen, lhanen@....

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