Top 10 Principles for Health Care Reform in 2009

Congressional leaders, the Obama Administration, and consumers across the nation are demanding major reform of health care systems in the U.S. in 2009. Health care reform offers tremendous hope to the hundreds of thousands of people living with HIV and AIDS who currently lack adequate health care. Reform should encourage innovation in models of health care delivery and facilitate rapid access to new treatments and improvements in care that reflect sound scientific principles. To be successful, reform efforts must address several very specific issues:
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1.         Provide Medicaid to all uninsured individuals with income less than $20,000 per year and families of four with income less than $42,000 per year, and allow states to provide Medicaid coverage for persons with HIV with even higher income, as proposed in the Early Treatment for HIV Act ("ETHA"). [read more]

2.         Ensure access to quality health care by establishing a comprehensive, standard Medicaid benefits package that is available in every state.

3.         Keep Medicaid and Medicare health care services and prescriptions affordable for everyone by minimizing consumers' out-of-pocket costs.

4.         Increase the federal contribution to state Medicaid programs during periods of economic crisis.

5.         To help fight the HIV epidemic, voluntary HIV testing and counseling should be available to everyone. Medicaid, Medicare and private insurance companies should be required to cover voluntary HIV testing and counseling.

6.         Improve access to health care by eliminating the two-year Medicare waiting period for people with disabilities.

7.         Protect Medicare beneficiaries facing "donut hole" coverage gaps.

8.         Provide incentives to strengthen the health care work force and ensure adequate and timely reimbursement to health care providers to help promote and protect access to the vital services they provide.

9.         Expand and improve private health insurance options by guaranteeing that everyone has access to an affordable, comprehensive, quality private health insurance plan.

10.       Support and strengthen Ryan White Programs so that they continue to provide essential health and support services to people living with HIV and AIDS.