HIV and Medicaid expansion: failure of Southern states to expand Medicaid makes elimination of HIV infection in the United States much harder to achieve
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Author(s):
- Searing, Adam, author Adimora, Adaora A., author
- Contributor(s):
- Georgetown University. Center for Children and Families, issuing body.
- Publication:
- Washington, DC : Georgetown University Health Policy Institute, Center for Children and Families, November 2020
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- HIV Infections -- epidemiology HIV Infections -- prevention & control Medicaid Communicable Disease Control Southeastern United States United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- (1) Advances in public health programs and medical treatment mean HIV can be treated successfully in the long term, improving the health of individuals and significantly reducing the spread of the infection. Ending the HIV epidemic in the United States is achievable. However, lack of health coverage is a major barrier to success in the fight against HIV as without health coverage, individuals are unable to access medical treatment that can improve their health and minimize the spread of HIV. (2) These medical treatments, combined with a robust public health campaign, have led to a decline in HIV infection and transmission in many states. The HIV epidemic is now concentrated in Southern states where progress against the disease has slowed. Approximately 45 percent of all people living with an HIV diagnosis in the U.S. live in the South despite the region containing only about one-third of the total U.S. population. In addition, more than half (52 percent) of all new HIV diagnoses in 2017 were in the South. (3) Medicaid expansion is a key building block to ending the HIV epidemic. Unfortunately, 12 states--largely in the South--are still refusing the federal funding for Medicaid expansion and leaving many people and families who could benefit from HIV interventions still lacking access to comprehensive health coverage. Only 5 percent of people with HIV remain uninsured in states that have implemented the Medicaid expansion, compared to a 19 percent uninsured rate among people with HIV in non-expansion states. Expanding Medicaid would significantly improve health care and coverage for people with HIV and their families and move the United States forward in the public health fight to end the HIV epidemic.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY license. (More information)
- Extent:
- 1 online resource (1 PDF file (10 pages))
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101774966 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101774966