AHF Applauds Schwarzenegger For Signing First-In-The-Nation HIV Testing Coverage Bill

Main Category: HIV / AIDS
Article Date: 01 Oct 2008 - 10:00 PDT

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AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the operator of the largest non-government HIV testing program in California, today applauded Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for signing Assembly Bill 1894 (Paul Krekorian, D-Burbank), a first-in-the-nation piece of legislation which will compel medical insurers operating in California to cover the costs of routine HIV screening. The bill, sponsored by AHF, will help California better comply with the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Revised HIV Testing Guidelines (issued in September 2006) which recommends routine screening for HIV for individuals ages 13 to 65.

"With the Governor's signature of AB 1894 today, California once again has demonstrated its global leadership in developing innovative policies to fight the HIV pandemic," said Assembly Member Paul Krekorian. "This legislation will set the standard throughout the nation by making HIV screening a routine part of ordinary preventive health care."

"AB 1894 establishes a model that must be implemented across the nation in order to achieve true routine HIV screening. Governor Schwarzenegger is to be commended for having the foresight to sign this crucial first-in-the-nation public health legislation. We also thank Assembly Member Krekorian for his leadership in authoring and shepherding this groundbreaking bill," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Nearly 40,000 Californians do not know they are HIV-positive and they are unwittingly causing between 2500 and 5000 new infections in California each year. AB 1894 provides an ideal opportunity to break that chain of HIV infections by compelling insurers operating in California to cover the cost of routine testing in medical and health settings like ERs and community clinics. In light of stark new CDC data - documenting a 40% increase in HIV infections nationwide-AB 1894 should go a long way to help California comply with the CDC's Revised HIV testing Guidelines and help dramatically reduce new HIV infections throughout the state."

In his signing statement for AB 1894, Governor Schwarzenegger noted, "The alarming new number of infections underscore the need to take all possible steps to prevent the spread of this disease. By preventing the spread of infection, the population is not only healthier, but avoids the costly medical interventions required for people living with HIV and AIDS."

According to the California Office of AIDS, approximately 40,000 people in California who are infected with HIV are unaware they have the disease. The lack of routine HIV screening results in a lack of treatment to tens of thousands of people who need it, and puts many more people at risk of infection.

In an alarming announcement in early August, the Centers for Disease Control revised its annual estimates of HIV incidence in the U.S. up to 56,000 new HIV cases per year-up from roughly 40,000 cases each year. (The CDC explained this 40 percent increase as a result of better data collection and tracking; however, the original case number has remained static at 40,000 cases annually for the past 10 years-a statistic that already underscored the need for stepped up HIV testing). At the same time, the CDC also reported that only 40 percent of the U.S. population had ever received an HIV test, and that at least a quarter of the estimated one million people in the U.S. living with the virus are unaware of their HIV-positive status.

The CDC issued revised recommendations for its HIV testing guidelines in September 2006. In a departure from its previous guidelines, the CDC recommended that 'opt-out' HIV screening become a part of routine clinical care in all health care settings for every person ages 13 to 65. Unfortunately, this recommendation has not yet been widely implemented in California or on a national scale. One factor is guaranteeing payment for these tests - which can cost as little as $20 per test. By requiring insurers to cover the cost of routine HIV testing, AB 1894 will help move California closer toward implementing the CDC's Revised 2006 HIV Testing Guidelines.

At a time when it is estimated that over 56,000 Americans will be infected this year and nearly 1.1 million people are already living with the virus, AB 1894 keeps California on the forefront of the global fight against the AIDS epidemic.

AB 1894 is sponsored by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, and is supported by the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, the Center for AIDS Research, Education, and Services (CARES), the California Nurses Association, and the California Medical Association.

Assembly Member Paul Krekorian

Assembly Member Paul Krekorian represents the cities of Burbank and Glendale, and the Los Angeles communities of Atwater Village, Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Toluca Lake, Valley Glen, Valley Village and Van Nuys. He is a board member of the AIDS Community Action Foundation.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is the nation's largest non-profit HIV/AIDS healthcare provider. AHF currently provides medical care and/or services to more than 80,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean and Asia.

AIDS Healthcare Foundation