Senator Clinton Calls on Department of Health and Human Services to Provide Adequate Funding for HIV/AIDS Programs

Letter

Senator Clinton Calls on Department of Health and Human Services to Provide Adequate Funding for HIV/AIDS Programs

Senator Clinton Responds to Reports that New York Will Experience Cuts Upwards of $6 million in Federal Grants

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton called on Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Michael Leavitt today to ensure that New York receives adequate funds under the Ryan White CARE program. The Health Resources and Services Administration at HHS notified the State of New York last week that it would experience nearly $6 million in cuts in Title II grant awards.

"The funding provided under the Ryan White CARE Act is absolutely essential to ensuring that New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS can access critical life-extending services," said Senator Clinton. "New York has experienced the heaviest burden of the AIDS epidemic. Without adequate funding, these important programs that fight HIV and AIDS every day cannot effectively serve New Yorkers who struggle with this disease. I will continue to fight to make certain New York receives the funding it needs."

In a letter to Secretary Leavitt today, Senator Clinton urged the Secretary to ensure that New York grantees are given priority in receiving Title I supplemental funding under the CARE Act. The reauthorization of the CARE Act advises that priority for supplemental funding be given to areas where a decline in funding would negatively impact the ability of those areas to adequately provide services to those living with HIV and AIDS. Due to cuts for both Title I and II grantees, the lack of supplemental funding would aversely affect important HIV/AIDS programs in the State of New York.

There are currently over 100,000 individuals living with HIV and AIDS in the State of New York, leading the nation in both the number of overall HIV/AIDS cases as well as the number of new HIV infections each year. The Ryan White CARE Act was first enacted in 1990 to provide care and treatment to Americans living with AIDS. The two biggest funding streams in the CARE Act are Titles I and II. Title I money is for cities with high rates of AIDS cases and Title II money is for states, with the bulk of Title II funds going to AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs). In addition to Title II state funding, New York receives Title I funding for three areas in New York City, Nassau-Suffolk Counties, and Dutchess County.

Senator Clinton has long been a champion of ensuring adequate care and treatment of people living with HIV/AIDS. The Senator has fought repeatedly to ensure that New York receives adequate funding under the CARE Act. In February, Senators Clinton and Schumer wrote to Secretary Leavitt to urge that anticipated cuts in formula grants to Nassau and Suffolk counties be restored. Last month, their hard work was partially rewarded when HHS granted a waiver to this area allowing them to continue funding critically important supportive services for people living with HIV and AIDS. Last year, Senator Clinton and her colleagues in New York and New Jersey were instrumental in ensuring that the reauthorization of the Ryan White Act eliminate proposed drastic cuts of nearly $100 million for both New Jersey and New York. Earlier this year, she reintroduced the early treatment for HIV Act with Senator Gordon Smith, which would enable states to provide Medicaid coverage to low-income individuals living with HIV before they become sick.

The full text of Senator Clinton's letter to Secretary Leavitt follows.

April 9, 2007

The Honorable Mike O. Leavitt
Secretary
United States Department of Health and Human Services
200 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20201

Dear Mr. Secretary:

Last week, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) notified grantees of Title II State grant awards under the Ryan White CARE Act program. For fiscal year 2007, New York State is scheduled to receive an overall reduction of approximately $6 million. Most of these losses will come from our state AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding. In addition, the State government anticipates that it may need to cut back on Title I-funded services that are administered with its assistance. These losses will certainly impact the ability to serve the needs of the over 100,000 individuals living with HIV and AIDS in New York. Therefore, it is vitally important that entities receiving Ryan White funding in New York given priority for receiving supplemental funding under the CARE Act.

The cuts announced this week are not the first suffered by New York State under this reauthorization. In the Title I grant award funding announced last month, the Nassau-Suffolk region experienced a decline in its formula grant, despite changes in the law designed to increase the amount of formula funding received by Title I grantees. While there was a slight increase to Dutchess County's funding because of these changes in formula, this increase will not help the County if there are shortfalls in supplemental funding.

The recent reauthorization of the CARE Act notes that priority in Title I and II supplemental funding should be given to areas where a decline in formula funding will impact the ability of areas to provide services to people living with HIV and AIDS - a situation that exists in New York. I am already hearing reports of the ways in which services are being cut by various providers and organizations, jeopardizing the ability of individuals to access essential services that are funded through this program.

While I understand that HRSA does not expect to have supplemental funding available to provide to Title II, supplemental funding in Title I will help to minimize the impact of these losses in New York. I would urge you to give New York State grantees priority in receiving supplemental funding under the CARE Act.

Sincerely yours,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

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