Drugs used to treat HIV/AIDS are very expensive. Treatment can cost $10,000 to $15,000 per year for a single patient. Many people cannot afford these expenses without health insurance.
Unfortunately, not everyone enjoys the luxury of health insurance. According to US Census estimates for 2003, Latinos represent 14% of the total population but almost 25% of uninsured people in the United States. Among racial and ethnic minorities, Latinos represent the highest rate of non-insurance. Nearly 4 out of 10 Latinos are uninsured, according to the Kaiser Commission (June 2000).
This lack of insurance coverage severely deters Latinos from accessing adequate (or any) treatment for HIV/AIDS, which in turn has social ramifications that greatly impact the community. Uninsured adults are less likely to receive the highly effective “drug cocktails” that have become the standard treatment. When they do receive newer drug therapies, uninsured patients have to wait an average of four months longer for treatment than patients with private insurance (www4.nas.edu).
A large number of Latinos are migrant and/or undocumented workers. They are likely to have multiple employers throughout the year, greatly decreasing their ability to obtain insurance. Low-wage workers are less likely to be offered health benefits or to be able to afford employees’ share of premiums when they are offered coverage. Statistically Latinos have less acquisitive power than Whites or other minorities/ethnic groups and are therefore also unlikely to afford private insurance. Among uninsured Latinos 87% come from working families, 60% of whom live at poverty levels.
There are very few private organizations that offer free and appropriate assistance to uninsured clients. Many Latinos with HIV/AIDS are forced to seek for public health services. However, it is often difficult for Latinos to access these federal or state health programs due to the eligibility restrictions such as immigration status. It should be noted, though, that not all public health services require a patient’s identification or social security number.
Research conducted by Stanford and the RAND corporation found that HIV/AIDS patients with public insurance (such as Medicaid) have much lower death rates than those with no insurance. The same research, however, also identified death rates for publicly insured HIV/AIDS patients to be significantly lower in states whose Medicaid programs had less restrictive eligibility rules and more generous drug coverage. Expanding public insurance coverage of HIV positive people could cut AIDS-related deaths by as much as 66%, according to the Journal of Health.
Options offered by the Public Health services for proper HIV/AIDS treatment include:
AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP): This is a program created by the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (care) Act. It operates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and it is open to undocumented people. It provides HIV-related prescription drugs to low-income underinsured and uninsured individuals (including those not eligible for Medicaid) living with HIV/AIDS. ADAP requires no membership fees or drug co-payments.
To obtain ADAP information and applications, call 1-800-542-2437 or TDD (518) 459-0121, or write to HIV Uninsured Care Programs, Empire Station, PO Box 2052, Albany, NY 12220-2052.
Click on here to see AIDS Drugs Assistance Programs for each state as well as detailed information for program contact, financial and medical eligibility criteria, enrollment sites and procedures, covered medications, program restrictions, local CARE consortiums, insurance assistance, and availability of nutritional services.
Medicaid: Only available for US citizens or legal permanent residents who entered the country before July 16, 1996. It is a federal/state program that pays for medical assistance for certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is the most widely available public insurance and the largest source of funding for medical and health-related services.
Access the Medicaid site for consumers here in order to find detailed information about the enrollment procedures and eligibility criteria for each state.
- Insure Kids Now!: This is a program to provide free or low-cost health insurance for children of low-income families. It is available in every state for children 18 years old and younger from working families earning up to $34,100 annually, as well as families that include members with a variety of immigration status. This insurance pays for doctor’s visits, prescription medicines, and hospitalizations.
To learn more, go to Your State's Program or make a free call to 1-877-KIDS-NOW for more information.
-Other Options: Consult local resources for HIV/AIDS treatment or counseling. Good places to start looking for are:
-HIV/AIDS Clinics
-Migrant worker hospitals
-Local private organizations
links:
http://covertheuninsuredweek.org/individuals/
http://covertheuninsuredweek.org/espanol/
National AIDS Hotline:
1-800-232-4636
TTY: 1-888-232-6348
Email: cdcinfo@cdc.gov
