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On April 8, the West Virginia House
Health Committee rejected a bill that had passed the state senate unanimously
and would have allowed health departments to charge individuals or insurers for
HIV testing.
Although officials said that tests
would have been provided without charge or on a sliding scale fee for those
unable to pay, delegates were concerned that individuals would read that health
departments were charging for tests and would be deterred from getting tested.
Currently ranking 40th in HIV
prevalence, West Virginia has lost more than $600,000 in federal funding
throughout the past two years for its HIV/AIDS programming and had hoped to be
able to charge for HIV testing. As the Affordable Care Act will insure more
individuals, the federal government is encouraging local and state governments
to charge insurers for services that have been taxpayer-funded in the past.
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!
