President Obama's FY 2016 Budget Eliminates Funding for Women, Infants, Children and Youth Living with HIV/AIDS
Washington, DC - For the second time, President Obama has eliminated funding for Ryan White Part D, the program funded solely for the purpose of providing family-centered primary medical care and support services for women, including HIV positive pregnant women, infants, children and youth, from his FY 2016 budget and proposed moving the funding to the Early Intervention Services program, (Part C). The President proposed eliminating funding for this vital program in his FY 2015 budget. However, Congress rejected the proposal and approved $75,297,000 for Part D.
"It is deeply troubling that the President would for the second time eliminate funding for Part D from his FY 2016 budget particularly since there are still so many unanswered questions and concerns regarding the implementation of the proposed Part C/D consolidation," commented Dr. Ivy Turnbull, Deputy Executive Director of the AIDS Alliance for Women, Infants, Children, Youth & Families (AIDS Alliance). "Furthermore, we are at a critical time in the fight against this epidemic and if we believe that we can win this war on HIV/AIDS, then surely we know how essential it is to maintain the Ryan White Program and all of its Parts."
Ryan White Part D is often referred to as the lifeline for women, infants, children and youth living with HIV/AIDS. Since 1988, the Part D programs have been and continue to be the entry point into medical care for women and youth. The family-centered primary medical and supportive services provided by Part D funded programs are uniquely tailored to address the needs of women, including HIV positive pregnant women, HIV exposed infants, children and youth.
"The Ryan White Part D Program has been an invaluable lifeline for my family," commented Morenike Giwa, AIDS Alliance Advisory Board Member from Houston, Texas. "Initially afraid and unsure how to proceed, this vital program has offered so much support for us since diagnosis, helping to achieve and maintain viral suppression and a positive life outlook. It truly changed our lives. As a Part D consumer, I know that the program's family-centered, integrated model of care and support services truly works. It is an important gateway into care for those of us who need it most - women, youth, and families. Consolidating Ryan White Part D into Part C in this manner will hurt families like mine tremendously."
Ryan White Part D programs have been extremely effective in bringing the most vulnerable populations into and retained in care. Removing Part D from the Ryan White program would dismantle systems of care created for our most vulnerable populations. Many of the populations served by Part D will be lost or never enter into care thus increasing the existing gaps in the HIV Care Continuum. Moreover, major program changes that are this controversial should be left to Congress and certainly should wait until we better understand the impact of the Affordable Care Act on the populations served by the Ryan White program.
"Although we applaud the President for keeping his commitment to the domestic HIV/AIDS crisis we are calling on Congress to again reject the President's FY 2016 proposal and approve funding for Ryan White Part D," commented, Michael Ruppal, Executive Director of The AIDS Institute and AIDS Alliance"
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