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| 1. Support and Improvement of the Ryan White CARE Act The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act is the largest source of federal funding solely focused on domestic HIV care, treatment, and medical support services. Adopted by Congress in 1990, it is reauthorized every five years and funded through annual appropriations; Congress must reauthorize the CARE Act by September 30, 2005, when the current authorization is scheduled to expire. The CARE Act has been successful in providing medical care and support services to people living with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured. In fact, the CARE Act has become the foundation of service delivery for HIV care in the United States. Since the first authorization of the CARE Act, and through the ensuing rapid development of its programs, AIDS Action has expressed concerns about gaps in service delivery, large populations not linked to medical care, and insufficient funding. The CARE Act must modernize and streamline its services to ensure that the current public health infrastructure is meeting the needs of people living with HIV. AIDS Action seeks to ensure the stability of funding for the Ryan White CARE Act, avoid the destabilization of existing HIV systems of care, ensure the fair distribution of resources, and address the “unmet need” of this epidemic which, as defined by Congress in 2000, means connecting HIV positive individuals not currently in care to appropriate health care systems. AIDS Action will work with its members, Congress, the Administration, and coalition partners to support the reauthorization, expansion, and full funding of the Ryan White CARE Act. [back to introduction] |