A group of Republican senators and health officials from Southern state held a news conference in Washington, D.C., to call on Congress to approve reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports (Evans, AP/Contra Costa Times, 9/14).
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in May voted 19-1 to approve a bill (S 2823) -- co-sponsored by HELP Committee Chair Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) and Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) -- that would amend the CARE Act by allocating more federal HIV/AIDS funding to Southern and rural states. The bill would include revising the formulas for funding calculations to include HIV cases and not just AIDS cases and would create a tiered system of larger and smaller cities in an effort to distribute funds to more rural states. The bill also would mandate 75% of funding go to "core medical services," such as medications and physician visits and also would set a minimum drug formulary. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) was the only HELP committee member to vote against the bill, saying states with urban centers are most affected by HIV/AIDS and should not have their funding reduced, adding that New York state could lose $20 million under the proposed revisions (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 8/23). However, Evelyn Foust, North Carolina director of HIV prevention and care, at the news conference said, "The South's [HIV/AIDS] epidemic is real," adding, "We have to prioritize those areas of the country that need help now." Some advocates at the news conference said lawmakers told them that if a compromise is not reached by the end of September, reauthorization of the CARE Act likely would not be approved until 2008, according to the AP/Times. Some congressional aides said they were hopeful a reauthorization measure will pass before the end of the month. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Thursday said she would not make a decision on how she would vote on a reauthorization bill until negotiations are complete, adding, "My bottom line is this: That the money get to living HIV/AIDS patients, wherever they may be. I think that's the most important thing." (AP/Contra Costa Times, 9/14).
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