On Monday, March 6, 16 Duke students had an unusual opportunity to take center stage in the national debate to reauthorize funding for the Ryan White CARE Act targeted to people with HIV. Their stage was a hearing held by the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
The federal Ryan White CARE Act provides health care for people with HIV. Enacted in 1990, it fills gaps in care faced by those with low incomes and little or no insurance. Senators are to make recommendations to the White House later in March.
The student delegation to Washington was led by Kathryn Whetten, an associate professor in Duke's Terry Sanford Institute of Public Policy and director of Duke's Center for Health Policy.
The participating students are: Smita Aggarwal, Vishal Amin, Anne Berry, Larissa Goodwin, Elizabeth Groeger, Kimberly Hayez, Nazaneen Homaifar, Courtney Katz, Jeffrey Leibach, Dinushika Mohottige, Yuval Patel, Kevin Peng, Marcus Peterson, Alissa Redmond, Michael Rosenberg and Benjamin Rowland.
Here are some of the students' recommendations in their 15-minute presentation:
- Create a national Ryan White CARE Act computer database by January 2008. Once accurate data is collected on the number of individuals using Ryan White services in the United States, change to equal funding per person in need with cost of living adjustments.
- Reserve a share of grant funds to provide technical assistance to ensure providers participate in accurate data collection. All providers must have the needed computer resources as well as a proficiency in the installation and correct usage of the computer system.
- Broaden the definition of life-extending care to include those services that: 1) facilitate access to medical care and medications, and 2) support maintenance of medical care and adherence to drug treatments.
- Maintain flexibility and accountability to determine the allocation of CARE Act funds in the provision of life-extending primary and supportive services.
- Gradually merge the Minority AIDS Initiative into the Ryan White Care Act portfolio as an interim method to temporarily relieve strained funding sources.
- Prison systems should implement routine testing of HIV at the time of incarceration, in addition to annual testing. Also, given testing at the time of incarceration, measures should be taken to provide for the safety and health of prisoners. Prison facility staff should also be trained to address the special needs of HIV infected prisoners.