SF AIDS Fdn: SFAF Praises Senate Action on CARE Act Reauthorization

prcenter@sfaf.org
(Gustavo Suarez, Director of Communications)

SFAF Praises Senate Action on CARE Act Reauthorization

Swift Passage Crucial to People Living With HIV

San Francisco, Calif., March 2, 2000 -- The San Francisco AIDS Foundation applauded today's hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on legislation that would reauthorize the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The current legislation expires on September 30, 2000. Swift and timely passage will guarantee uninterrupted access to the critical medical services needed by low-income, uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV disease.

"We applaud the hard work and dedication of the Senate and members of the HELP committee, particularly Chairman Jeffords (R-VT) and Senator Kennedy (D-MA), who have worked closely with the community on reauthorization of this life-saving legislation," said Ernest Hopkins, SFAF's Director of Federal Affairs. "The recent decrease in AIDS deaths nationwide is a direct result of the federal government's investment in AIDS research and care services, particularly access to medical care, pharmaceuticals, and support services funded by the CARE Act."

This legislation builds on a decade of success by fine-tuning the CARE Act to address changes in the epidemic while maintaining strong local control. This has been essential to the CARE Act's success at meeting the differing needs of local communities. Since its enactment in 1990, the CARE Act has dramatically improved the quality of life of people with HIV disease by helping local jurisdictions develop and deliver essential medical care and support services.

"The CARE Act serves as a life-preserver for the tens of thousands of individuals whose lives depend on the care and services it makes possible. Without the CARE Act, those affected by HIV would again confront the deadly scenarios of the 1980s, rather than the focus on life and hope that we see today," stated Pat Christen, SFAF's Executive Director.

"While we celebrate the success in reducing death rates, we must remember that the HIV/AIDS epidemic remains an enormous public health emergency and that without the CARE Act, our public health infrastructure would collapse," added Hopkins. The HIV epidemic is far from over. It is estimated that more than 40,000 individuals become infected with HIV each year in the U.S. and the number of AIDS cases has doubled in the last five years.

The community-based, early intervention model of the CARE Act is proven to reduce expensive inpatient hospitalizations, emergency room visits and medical specialty care. Research shows that early diagnosis and treatment programs funded through the CARE Act saves thousands of dollars by reducing hospital admissions by 30 percent nationally and up to 75 percent in some locales.

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation has been at the forefront of the battle against HIV disease since 1982. Through its comprehensive array of compassionate and critical services such as cutting-edge treatment publications, one-on-one treatment consultations, housing assistance, and the California AIDS Hotline (800/367-AIDS), the AIDS Foundation annually serves 120,000 individuals impacted by HIV and AIDS. The non-profit, community-based organization reaches nearly 1 million others through community outreach, advocacy efforts, prevention programs, and the Web (http://www.sfaf.org/index.html).