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JOINT LETTER TO ILLINOIS September 2005 Dear Member of Congress: As individuals impacted by HIV/AIDS throughout the state of Illinois, and as organizations serving people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS in rural, suburban, and urban communities, we write to express our deep concern regarding the President Bush’s Ryan White CARE Act reauthorization principles. The CARE Act is the nation’s flagship response to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic, having provided comprehensive medical and social services to poor, uninsured people who have no other options for healthcare since 1990. We wish to see the CARE Act continue in its role of “safety net” by providing these lifesaving services to all individuals in need, regardless of where they live. HIV/AIDS remains a life threatening infectious disease and a significant public health emergency. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one million people in the United States are living with HIV, including more than 405,000 with AIDS. Approximately 211,000 individuals need antiretroviral treatment but have no means to access them. Over 1,900 people languish on AIDS Drug Assistance Program waiting lists around the country. The Institute of Medicine estimates that over 314,000 people with HIV/AIDS in the United States lack consistent care and treatment. Meanwhile, the demand for services grows steadily. Each year, more than 40,000 new infections occur in the U.S., 1,600 of those in Illinois. More than 30,000 AIDS cases and over 16,400 deaths due to AIDS have been reported in Illinois since 1981. After five years of flat funding and cuts for essential HIV/AIDS prevention and care services, and without a commitment for new funding, the administration proposes to shift significant CARE resources away from hard-hit states to address HIV/AIDS in less populous and rural states. Rural areas, especially in the South, are struggling against longstanding healthcare access problems, which are exacerbated by increasing rates of HIV in their communities. While all individuals living with HIV/AIDS should have the ability to access quality care and treatment, disparities in healthcare experienced by poor people in one part of the country should not be addressed at the expense of poor people in another part of the country. Stealing from Peter to pay Paul – and dismantling lifesaving services for vulnerable populations with no other means to access health care -– is unacceptable. Illinois will withstand significant cuts in funding and will suffer diminished infrastructure and service capacity should the administration’s principles be enacted. Thousands of Illinoisans with HIV/AIDS will face life-threatening gaps in care if the administration’s proposal is enacted. We call on you to
provide the leadership necessary to ensure that geography does not determine
access to essential medical and social services. We call on Congress to
increase CARE Act funding by $594 million and to devise a plan to distribute
the resources in a way that is fair and equitable to every American living
with HIV/AIDS in need of healthcare, rejecting the administration’s
faulty principles. We also ask for the maintenance of local control to
determine the appropriate mix of vital medical and supportive social services
in every jurisdiction that receives funding. Sincerely, A Safe Haven, L.L.C.,
Chicago 344 INDIVIDUALS
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