PI Action alerts & updates ... 2005
Project Inform Advocacy Update
April 2005
In this Issue
Congress Continues To Focus On Medicaid
Cuts
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Update
California Forms Medicare Part D Implementation Working
Group
Project Inform Responds to Supervirus Claims
New Report Shows Continued ADAP Crisis
California Debates Medi-Cal Redesign
Upcoming Events
Check This Out
Quote of the Month
Congress Continues To Focus On Medicaid
Cuts
We had a major victory last month when the Senate voted
to strike all Medicaid cuts from its version of the budget resolution.
However, the joint House/Senate conference committee that is negotiating
a final resolution continues to discuss making deep cuts to Medicaid.
These discussions are moving quickly and could be finished by the
time you are reading this.
Project Inform signed a letter written by Families USA that urged
conference committee members to accept the Senate’s position
of no cuts to Medicaid. Advocates have also been urging Republican
Senators who voted to reject Medicaid cuts to hold firm. The HIV
Medicaid/Medicare Working Group recently wrote a letter to Senator
Gordon Smith (R-OR) in response to reports that he is negotiating
language that would allow up to $10 billion in Medicaid cuts in
exchange for a commission to study the program and make other possible
cuts.
Medicaid will continue to be a target given the budget deficit
and a tentative deal for $70 billion in tax cuts. House and Senate
Republican leaders are pushing for mandatory spending cuts of up
to $45 billion in the final budget resolution. All Members of Congress
need to continue hearing from their constituents that the budget
can’t be balanced by sacrificing healthcare for the nation’s
most vulnerable citizens.
Top of page
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Update
The implementation of the new Medicare prescription drug benefit
(Part D) is underway.
As of January 1, 2006, Medicare beneficiaries who also qualify
for Medicaid coverage (dual eligibles) will lose their Medicaid
prescription drug coverage and be moved to a Medicare Prescription
Drug Plan (PDP) or a Medicare Advantage (managed care plan) Prescription
Drug Plan (MA-PD). In addition, people who have only Medicare coverage
will have access to a prescription drug plan. Some will also qualify
for a low income subsidy which can help them to afford their new
coverage.
There are many concerns for people with HIV/AIDS about this new
benefit. For some, it may represent new coverage that will be very
helpful. For many who currently receive comprehensive prescription
coverage through Medicaid, it will present new challenges. For all,
it promises to be a confusing benefit to understand and access.
One suggestion for all Medicare beneficiaries is to start a file
for all information received from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare
Services (the federal agency that oversees Medicare), Social Security,
Medicaid and/or the state Medicaid program. The low income subsidy
applications will be mailed at the end of May and the original must
be presented to apply for the application.
Project Inform is advocating for adequate consumer education about
this new benefit, and for the smoothest transition possible. We
recently made a presentation at the AmFAR HIV/AIDS Update Conference
about Medicare Part D. You can also read the HIV Medicaid/Medicare
Working Group’s summary of the final federal regulations for
this benefit.
Timelines and more detailed information about the new benefit can
be found at the Kaiser Family Foundation, Families USA, the Center
for Medicare Advocacy and the Medicare Rights Center.
Top of page
California Forms Part D Implementation
Working Group
California low-income health advocates have formed a Medicare
Part D group to address many of the concerns related to implementation
of the benefit. The group has met with the California Department
of Health Services (DHS) to advocate for a state role in the movement
of dual eligibles from comprehensive Medicaid coverage to Part D
prescription drug plans. The group is also planning a meeting with
the regional Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) representative
to discuss implementation of Part D, particularly as it affects
dual eligibles.
The group developed common principles around coverage for dual
eligibles. For more information specific to Californians, see www.calmedicare.org.
Top of page
Project Inform Responds To “Supervirus”
Claims
Project Inform set the pace among community groups in helping
people to understand what was and wasn’t real about the recent
claims of a new “supervirus” in New York. A survey of
leading scientists quickly lead us to issue a press statement questioning
whether there was enough information to claim there was a new and
more potent virus. We also submitted opinion pieces to the press,
entitled “Anatomy of a Superbug” and “Eradication
of the Superbug”.
While Project Inform recognizes the important issues raised by
recreational drug abuse and unprotected sex, we don’t believe
that scaring people with unproven claims about a “supervirus”
is the best way to address these issues. HIV prevention is complex
subject, not just a personal responsibility. Lack of adequate funding
for prevention, federal meddling in prevention messages, and a continuing
tone of false morality that teaches people to hate themselves then
blames them for their actions are all as much to blame as any drug
or personal behavior.
Top of page
New Report Shows Continued ADAP Crisis
Only April 20, the Kaiser Family Foundation and the National
Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors released their
annual National ADAP Monitoring Project Report. This annual survey
of AIDS Drug Assistance Programs shows the continued crisis in many
state programs, with 21 programs reporting a limit in treatment
access, including 11 states with waiting lists.
A primary reason for this ongoing crisis is the lack of adequate
federal funding for ADAP. While state funding for ADAPs increased
by 32% over the previous year, and drug rebates by 33%, federal
funding increased by only 5%. Meanwhile, President Bush has asked
for a highly inadequate $10 million increase for ADAP in the next
Fiscal Year, compared to the $303 million experts have determined
is needed to alleviate the current crisis.
Project Inform is involved with a number of efforts to advocate
with Congress for sufficient ADAP funding. We recently helped establish
an ADAP caucus in the Communities Advocating Emergency AIDS Relief
(CAEAR) Coalition, www.caear.org.
The caucus will help lead CAEAR’s ADAP appropriations efforts
and provide training for members on key issues facing ADAP.
In addition, we continue to participate in the AIDS Treatment Activists
Coalition’s “SAVE ADAP” Committee, www.atac-usa.org,
a national coalition of advocates who create grassroots strategies
to increase ADAP funding. In March, SAVE ADAP held a daylong ADAP
advocacy “boot camp” in Washington DC, followed by meetings
with Members of Congress so that participants could talk with their
own elected officials about how the ADAP crisis affects them and
people in their state.
Top of page
California Debates Medi-Cal Redesign
The California State Legislature is in the process of debating Governor
Schwarzenegger’s proposal to redesign Medi-Cal (California’s
Medicaid program). The Legislature is holding hearings on various
components of the redesign. There are three proposals of particular
concern to people living with HIV/AIDS:
- The expansion of managed care where it exists, including an
effort to move all of the Aged and Disabled (about 550,000 Californians,
included people with AIDS) into mandatory managed care;
- The institution of premiums for Medi-Cal beneficiaries;
- A cap on adult dental services.
For more information see www.medi-calredesign.org.
Top of page
Upcoming Events:
Project Inform’s Website
Calendar
Top of page
Check This Out:
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, www.cbpp.org,
is a national policy organization that addresses fiscal policy and
public programs that affect low-income families and individuals.
It conducts research and analysis to make sure that the needs of
low-income people are addressed during budget and tax policy discussions.
Its website contains a wealth of vital information about the federal
budget and healthcare/social service programs.
Top of page
Quote of the Month:
“Somebody has to do something, and it's just incredibly pathetic
that it has to be us.” – Jerry Garcia
Top of page
