The AIDS Beacon™

A new government website, Healthcare.gov, offers information about insurance options created by the recent health care reform act, including the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP).

The website, created by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, features a “Find Insurance Options” tool to help patients find the health insurance best suited to their needs, including the PCIP program.

A pre-existing condition is defined as a medical condition that exists before a patient enrolls in a new health insurance plan. Conditions that a person has received treatment for, or…

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) announced this month that state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) are facing “a perfect storm” of financial stresses due to the economic recession.

The result has been budget shortfalls and a series of cutbacks in state ADAP programs around the country.

ADAPs are programs that provide antiretroviral drugs to low-income Americans living with HIV.

Although run by states, the majority of ADAP funding usually comes from the federal government through the Ryan White Program. State contributions typically account for 15…

A recent fundraising initiative announced by the Millennium Foundation for Innovative Finance for Health has developed a novel method to raise funds for HIV and AIDS.

The program, entitled Massive Good, allows people to donate two dollars each time they purchase travel services, such as a plane ticket. This mechanism is called Voluntary Solidarity Contribution (VSC). During the VSC, an individual checks off a box during a commercial transaction, which simply adds two dollars to the final cost of the purchase.

Initial data suggest that Massive Good will raise approximately…

On November 12, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria approved grants worth $2.4 billion to support treatment of these diseases worldwide.

Although it is the second largest amount ever approved by the Global Fund, the number of accepted grants fell by 35 percent from the year before.

The Global Fund is an organization that attracts aid from wealthy governments and the private sector for distribution among poor countries to prevent and treat people with HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

These diseases account for 12.5 percent of deaths in…

A recent report by the AIDS 2031 project warns that funding to fight HIV and AIDS in developing countries could reach $35 billion annually by 2031 if governments continue with current approaches.

This includes more than one million people infected every year in the best case scenario, and a cost of $722 billion over 22 years, or nearly $8,000 for every infection prevented.

However, the report also suggests these costs could be cut nearly in half by focusing on high-impact measures in at-risk groups, such as sex workers and injecting…

A report card released today by the AIDS Treatment Activists Coalition (ATAC) gave the nine largest pharmaceutical companies a combined grade of C- in pricing of their antiretroviral therapies.

The ATAC report card assessed Abbott Laboratories, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Gilead Sciences, GlaxoSmithKline, Hoffman La Roche, Merck & Co., Pfizer, and Tibotec in five areas: drug development and plans, access to treatment, U.S. pricing, community relations, and marketing practices.

The highest overall grades, both B’s, went to Merck and Tibotec. Merck produces Isentress (raltegravir) and Crixivan (indinavir sulfate); Tibotec makes…

A recently released survey conducted by The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC) showed that while clinicians do support health care reform, many are concerned about issues such as increased caseloads, improper reimbursement, and the possibility  of rationing care for  HIV patients. The survey was conducted online, contained 10 questions, and received 400 responses from various clinicians, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and physician-assistants.

Fifty seven percent of respondents supported HIV-specific provisions in the new legislation, while 43 percent were against “special treatment” of people who require HIV care.…

To compensate for budget deficits, states across the country are making cuts in vital programs, including those providing diagnostic tests and treatment for patients with HIV/AIDS.

Most recently, on July 28, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California signed a package of legislation to erase a $24 billion deficit, which includes a $52 million decrease in funding to HIV/AIDS programs. State spending will be cut by more than half in providing education and prevention, therapeutic monitoring, counseling and testing, early intervention, and home and community-based care.

While this cut may be a…

On July 14, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced its plans to invest £60 million ($97 million) in AIDS treatment in Africa over the next ten years. The company’s plans focus primarily on the care and treatment of children with HIV and AIDS as well as improved access to antiretroviral drugs.

Andrew Witty, the Chief Executive Officer of GSK, outlined several programs aimed to help those living with HIV and AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa. According to the World Health Organization, more than three-quarters of all AIDS related deaths occurred in this region in…

President Obama recently unveiled his Global Health Initiative Plan on Tuesday, May 5. The plan allocates $63 billion for global health programs over the next six years, including HIV/AIDS programs. The plan proposes a cut to annual HIV/AIDS funding by extending the initial proposal from five years to six years without increase spending accordingly.

This signifies a lack of treatments for newly diagnosed HIV patients, while prevention programs, such as needle exchange in Eastern Europe, will be stopped.

Prior to the economic crisis last fall, Congress had approved $48 billion…