NAPWA calls on
Congress to reauthorize Ryan White Act

The National Association of People With AIDS on Tuesday called for prompt reauthorization of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act, issuing a set of principles to guide the legislation. The current Ryan White Act expires at the end of September 2005, and Congress is charged with reauthorizing the act before then. "As Congress decides this program's future direction, we want to emphasize the fact that our very lives depend on a compassionate and comprehensive response to HIV/AIDS in America," said NAPWA executive director Terje Anderson. NAPWA sought input nationwide from people living with HIV/AIDS over a two-year period, resulting in the document "Guiding Principles for the 2005 Reauthorization of the Ryan White CARE Act." "Well over 1 million Americans are living with HIV/AIDS. The large majority is people of color, many are poor and working people, and most are uninsured or underinsured," said Anderson. "Their experiences with a complex health care system tell us a great deal about how Congress should take up this vital legislation." NAPWA is calling for Congress to: 1) Provide new resources to meet the growing need for HIV services in every part of the country, particularly in areas with emerging HIV care issues; 2) Support a comprehensive care approach that includes not just medical care and treatment but also other essential support services; 3) Enhance the role of HIV-positive people in all aspects of the Ryan White Act; 4) Retain the Ryan White Act's focus on HIV care and treatment by not allowing it to become a vehicle for legislation on social issues related to HIV prevention.