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Cost of HIV medications in the Illinois health insurance marketplace for 2015

December 3, 2014

The Illinois health insurance marketplace open enrollment period ends on Feb. 15, 2015, and it is crucial that people living with HIV and AIDS have complete information to choose a marketplace plan. Today, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is releasing information on HIV medication coverage for each marketplace plan giving examples of what a person with HIV might pay for HIV medications...
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AIDS Foundation of Chicago announces 18 award recipients of its 2014 Challenge Grants

December 3, 2014

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is pleased to announce 18 award recipients of its 2014 Challenge Grants — a legacy program that awards financial support to organizations that are making a difference in the HIV epidemic and the lives of people living with the virus in Illinois. A combined total of $220,000 was awarded among the receiving organizations. This year, funding was determined...
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AFC commemorates World AIDS Day with new website, World of Chocolate and more

November 29, 2014

Each year, Dec. 1 offers the world an opportunity to ponder the HIV epidemic and remember the millions who have died from HIV-related complications over the last 30 years. On World AIDS Day, people around the globe will take a moment to consider the impact this virus has had on the course of human history — and look ahead to the future and a world without new HIV transmissions. The...
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"It is hard being positive": An AFC client makes the most of every day

November 28, 2014

Four years ago, AFC was introduced to Scott Christian. In life, Scott has had his fair share of health difficulties. Having endured tuberculosis as a child, it was hard for Scott to hear of his new HIV-positive diagnosis in 2010 — and to hear that his T-cell count was 233, just 33 counts above the threshold for AIDS. Today, Scott is doing better and lives in Chicago’s South Shore...
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Turning a personal story into a platform for action

November 28, 2014

Melanie Paul knows firsthand the challenge of learning about an HIV-positive status when it’s least expected. She knows what it’s like to experience homelessness — to live on the Red Line and friends’ couches. She knows how difficult it is to make sense of a new medical status while wrestling with the stigma of a lifetime of HIV. And yet, she has an incredible...
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Dramatic shift in AFC's work, thanks to decades of change

November 28, 2014

One of the most remarkable things about Lori Kaufman, and there are many, is the strength of her commitment. A Board member of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) since 1989, Kaufman has dedicated 25 years of her life to the fight against HIV/AIDS — and she’s seen it all. As AFC begins its 30th year of action in 2015, few people are as well equipped to reflect on AFC’s...
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Largest and longest-running HIV/AIDS coalition calls for scale-up of PrEP; AIDS Foundation of Chicago leads locally

November 24, 2014

The largest and longest running national coalition of community-based HIV/AIDS organizations, AIDS United (AU), is calling for the scale-up of pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP. AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is a long-standing member of AU’s Public Policy Committee (PPC) and is a local, national and international leader on new HIV prevention technologies, including PrEP. PrEP,...
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Media-driven stigma continues with new HIV criminalization case

November 10, 2014

Despite the immense progress made in the battle to destigmatize HIV and end HIV criminalization laws, the mainstream media is failing to catch up and join the fight. In some cases, the media’s coverage of HIV criminalization becomes the source of stigma. A new case under an outdated HIV criminalization law in Illinois demonstrates the media’s inability to handle sensitive...
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AFC awarded second year of funding to help people register for health insurance through Affordable Care Act

November 7, 2014

In-person counselors will focus on connecting HIV-positive, LGBT, homeless Illinoisans to health insurance For the second year, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) has been awarded a grant to fund in-person counselors (IPCs) to help individuals enroll for health insurance through the Get Covered Illinois In-Person Counselor Program. In collaboration with AIDS Legal Council...
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AFC congratulates Governor-Elect Rauner, urges policy and funding continuity

November 5, 2014

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) congratulates Illinois Governor-Elect Bruce Rauner on his victory last night. We and the community of HIV advocates stand ready to assist the governor-elect’s transition team as they plan for the new administration. HIV and public health are not partisan issues. Every HIV infection averted through strong prevention programs saves the state over...
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