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In late November, the Kansas
Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) sent letters to many of the state’s
medium and small counties announcing that KDHE will stop analyzing HIV tests
and providing rapid or oral tests to these counties’ local health departments
by January 1, 2013.
In the past, 40 local health
departments received the free services. Ralph Wilmoth, director of KDHE’s
HIV/AIDS program, says that number has been trimmed to 10. KDHE gave the
counties five weeks to make alternate arrangements, and encouraged county
agencies to continue to provide HIV testing. After January 1, the affected
counties or their clients will pay the costs through public assistance
programs, insurance, or their own money.
The letter also included some
cost-comparison information to help the local departments shop for lab work,
testing materials, and other program necessities.
This creates a new burden for
cash-strapped county health departments that now may be unable to continue HIV
testing. Local department heads were dismayed at the short notice of
termination of these free services, fearing it would be challenging or
impossible for some smaller departments to pay for the tests on their own.
State officials explained that the
service reduction decision was made because of cutbacks in a CDC-administered
federal testing program. The program has been reconfigured to focus on areas
where the incidence of HIV/AIDS is greatest. Wilmoth said the CDC instituted
the program changes in anticipation of the January 1, 2014, implementation of
the Affordable Care Act.
Many Americans are expected to
become newly eligible for Medicaid then, and Medicaid covers HIV testing.
However, when the US Supreme Court ruled on the health reform law, it concluded
that each state had the option not to expand its Medicaid eligibility. Neither
Kansas Governor Sam Brownback nor the Kansas legislature has yet determined
whether Kansas will broaden access to its program, which is known as KanCare.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
