The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) applauds Get Covered Illinois and the Illinois Department of Insurance for reducing Illinois’ uninsured rate from 17.8% to 10.6% among 18-64 year olds between 2013 and 2015. This feat is one of the largest uninsured percentage drops in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Medicaid is now the largest payer of HIV care in Illinois, and thousands of people living with HIV have gained coverage thanks to the Affordable Care Act.
As an organization that has long advocated for health equity through the expansion of health care access, AFC recognizes what this achievement means to people living with HIV and those vulnerable to contracting the disease, who now have access to comprehensive health care services, including vital prevention resources like PrEP and HIV/STI testing. And as early detection and early treatment have been identified as the most impactful method for controlling HIV, it also marks another positive step toward the vision of an AIDS-free generation.
