California law to
aid residents living with HIV hasn't been implemented

A 2003 California law was supposed to provide medical care for uninsured and poor Californians living with HIV, but has not yet been implemented, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The law was designed to help people living with HIV get medical care through the state's Medi-Cal program. It was lauded by activists and newspapers across the state as a significant landmark in health care legislation. However, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration has yet to enforce the bill, and state officials say the constraints of the law make implementation impossible.

The law, signed by then-governor Gray Davis when the state had a huge deficit, promised not to burden taxpayers. The money was supposed to come from AIDS patients, who would be asked to voluntarily switch from expensive fee-for-service treatment to less expensive managed care. The state's Department of Health says only 200 of the 18,000 Medi-Cal recipients living with AIDS have made the switch.

AIDS activists say the Department of Health has not put enough effort into outreach and education. The state estimates that 8,000 people with HIV in California would qualify for Medi-Cal coverage if the law were implemented.

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, based in Los Angeles, sponsored the law and said it plans to file a lawsuit this week to urge the state to launch the program. (The Advocate)