Health care reform

Placing health care reform back front and center

June 15, 2008

View Health Care Reform presentation

When all chances of passing health care reform legislation died in 1993, political experts said it would be at least 15 years before the issue would again be seriously considered. It is now 15 years later, and health care reform is clearly back on the country’s priorities. Health care consistently ranks in the top issues of American’s concerns and many Presidential candidates have made their health care proposals a key component of their campaign. It is increasingly clear that addressing the health care crisis will be a major focus for the next President and Congress.

More than 47 million Americans and at least 20% of HIV positive people in care are uninsured and millions more are underinsured. Lack of health care coverage has long since reached crisis proportions. States, often first to deal with serious health care issues, have begun to move toward comprehensive reform. As of June 2008, three states have enacted and 13 are moving toward reform of their health care systems.

It is essential for people with HIV/AIDS to be involved in the health care reform debate at the state and national level. Most health care reform proposals build on the existing systems of care. People with HIV/AIDS need to understand the terminology of the debate and the opportunities for increased health care coverage. There are also many challenges including ensuring quality comprehensive coverage and protecting the public programs that almost three quarters of people with HIV depend on. Particularly important is how Ryan White funding and services can or can’t interact with coverage proposals. To learn more about these issues, you can view a recent Project Inform presentation here (link to presentation).

In response to the growing debate, Project Inform and several of our partners have started a Health Care Reform workgroup at the national level. Together we will create a set of principles for any proposal. These principles will be used to inform and educate policy makers and people with HIV/AIDS about the needs of people with HIV/AIDS. For more information, email .