2011 Budget Agreement Reached

2011 Budget Agreement Reached
Congressional Republicans and Democrats reached a budget agreement to fund the federal government for the rest of fiscal year 2011. The deal cut $78.5 billion from President Obama’s 2011 budget request and $37.6 billion from 2010 funding levels.

Read NMAC’s breakdown of the budget deal and what it means for HIV/AIDS funding here »

House Passes Ryan Budget for 2012
The House of Representatives passed, mostly along party lines, the 2012 budget proposed by Chairman of the House Budget Committee Paul Ryan (R-WI), which seeks to cut $6.2 trillion in government spending over the next 10 years. The plan, which includes billions of dollars in tax cuts, would get the bulk of its “savings” by overhauling Medicare and Medicaid. Ryan’s plan would transform Medicaid into a block grant program, while effectively changing Medicare into a voucher program that would force participants to purchase private insurance.

Medicare and Medicaid are the largest care providers for Americans living with HIV/AIDS. Transforming these programs could prove devastating to our nation’s response to the epidemic.

Read NMAC’s press release on Chairman Ryan’s proposed budget here »

Office of Minority Health Releases Action Plan on Health Disparities
The HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities outlines goals and actions HHS will take to reduce health disparities among minorities. The plan outlines how HHS will assess the impact of all policies and programs on racial and ethnic health disparities and promote integrated approaches, evidence-based programs and best practices to reduce these disparities. The plan builds on the strong foundation of the Affordable Care Act and is aligned with programs and initiatives such as National HIV/AIDS Strategy.

The Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities lays out five broad goals:

1. To transform healthcare to better serve undeserved populations;
2. To diversify and strengthen the healthcare workforce;
3. To advance the health, safety and well-being of the American people, particularly underserved communities;
4. To continue to advance scientific knowledge and innovation; and
5. To increase efficiency, transparency and accountability in healthcare.

A link to the Action Plan can be found here »

NMAC Calls for Research on HIV-positive Organ Donation
This week, NMAC, joined a coalition of public health organizations in calling for a change to the law banning HIV-positive organ donation, shifting regulatory authority to the Department of Health and Human Services to allow research on the safety of such donations. The issue has received some media attention lately after a study was published in the American Journal of Transplantation found that an additional 500 to 600 organs would be made available to people living with HIV.

NMAC and its partners are calling for further studies on the safety of transplanting organs from HIV-positive donors to HIV-positive patients who need them. As communities of color are disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS and are disproportionately represented on the nation’s transplant wait lists, this issue is of particular importance to NMAC and its constituents.

As the coalition’s policy recommendations are further developed, NMAC will distribute to its constituents.

Read a recent New York Times article on the issue here »

About NMAC
The National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC) builds leadership within communities of color to address challenges of HIV/AIDS. Since 1987, NMAC has advanced this mission through a variety of programs and services, including: a public policy education program, national and regional training conferences, a treatment and research program, numerous publications and a website: https://www.nmac.org/.

Today, NMAC is an association of AIDS service organizations providing valuable information to community-based organizations, hospitals, clinics and other groups assisting individuals and families affected by the AIDS epidemic. NMAC’s advocacy efforts are funded through private funders and donors only.

For more information, contact NMAC directly at (202) 483-NMAC (6622) or communications@nmac.org.

About NMAC on the Hill
NMAC wants to make sure that our constituents are up to date on the latest activities in Congress and around Washington, DC that affect HIV/AIDS programs, funding, and the broader movement. To accomplish this, we will be sending regular updates on legislation, meetings and other happenings in the nation’s capital to keep you informed on what matters to our community.

Click here to email this message to a friend. To sign up for NMAC on the Hill, click here.

Visit the agency online at https://www.nmac.org/

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