Che Philadelphia Inquirer Thursday, Dec. 7. 1989 The Philadelonia inowrer 21-A AIDS panel warns of complacency, ‘unresponsive’ health-care system By Charles Green lnmmrer Wasuapion Guresn WASHINGTON — A new congres- slionai commission on AIDS warned yesterday tat there was a dangerous complacency toward the disease and called on Yresigent Sush to proviae more ieacership betore tne epiaemic WOFSeDS 10 the 1990s. The first report by the National Commussion on AIDS. supmitted to Bush eigot months early to highlight the urgency of the problem. said the nation's healthcare system was “sin- gularly unresponsive” to patients 1n- fected with the AIDS virus. It eriti- cized in particular the government's Medicaid program for the poor. There ts no requirement, for 1n- Stance. that Medicaid make the life- prolonging drug AZT avatiable to AIDS patients. the report said. ti! ’ The 15-member commussion took Office in August under a 1988 law that created an indepenaent body of health exnerts and government offi- ciais to aavise Congress and the Pres- ident on AIDS. David E. Rogers. vice chairman o1 the commussion and professor of medicine at the New York Hospital- Corneil Medical Center. said the panel had not been due to deliver its ‘lrst report to Bush until August. “The prime message.is we have a real crisis." Rogers said. “It's erip- pling the heaith systems of a number of major cities, and it needs federal as well as state and local attention.” He said New York, San Francisco. Houston and Newark, N.J., were fac- ing the most serious problems. While Rogers said the “court's out sull” about the Bush admunistra- tion's actions to deal with the epl- demic. the commussion did emtcize the administration for not address- ing AIDS as part of its nationai drug strategy. Statistics showed that about 20 vercent of AIDS cases 1n 1988 were -lnked (0 intravenous arug use. A spokesman for the commussion said that the three cabinet-tevel members on the panei — Defense Secretary Dick Cheney, Veterans Sec- retary Edward J. Derwinsk: and Health and Human Services Secre- tary Louis W. Suilivan — did not register objectuons to the report. The repert predicted that AIDS would be far worse 1n the 1990s than it had been in the 1980s and likely would ciaam an additional 200.000 lives in the next four years. As of Oct. 31. AIDS had caused 66.493 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease ‘Control. AIDS 1s a fatal disease that attacks the immune system. “In increasing numbers. these new cases will be women ana children.” the report said. While medical advances in treat- ing the AIDS virus are encouraging, the “breakthroughs mean /ittie“2n- less the nation’s health-care system makes them available to people in need. the report said. Almost one-quarter of AIDS patients have no beaith insurance. the report said. and those who are covered by Medicaid often get iittle help, For instance, the report said that doctors 1n New York City who saw a new AIDS patient during an office visit recetved only $7 in compensa- uuon from Medicaid. compared with $78 from Blue Cross and $80 from Medicare. the government's health program for the elderly. The report recommended in- creased spending on Medicaid and said the federal government must deveiop a nationai policy and a “na- tional voice” on AIDS.