Category: Issues and Advocacy

Important Happenings in HIV/Health Policy

Week ending: January 11, 2018
By: Sable K. Nelson & Matthew Rose

TAKE ACTION: Trump Administration Proposes Changes to Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit that Could Hurt PLWH

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services have proposed new rules that could have unprecedented access restrictions to lifesaving HIV drugs under Medicare Part D. If finalized, this rule would jeopardize our nation’s efforts to provide treatment to Medicare beneficiaries living with HIV, one of the largest providers of HIV care services. The new proposed rule would change the “protected class status” of anti-retrovirals under Medicare Part D, which allows PLWH to have direct access to the best treatments as prescribed by their doctor. Over the last 15 years, this policy has saved and improved millions of lives and brought us closer than ever to our shared goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States. AIDS United has led the charge, providing a way to edit and submit your own comments, check out: https://www.aidsunited.org/Take-Action/My-Status-My-Medicare!.aspx. Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. on January 25, 2019 in response to a rule proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. For additional information about the proposed regulation, check out this webinar presented by the HIV Health Care Access Working Group: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXZy0yTaOZw&feature=youtu.be

READ: Report Impact of Trump Administration Judiciary on the LGBT Community

Lambda Legal issued a report entitled “The Promise of a Fair and Independent Judiciary is Under Siege.” This document examines the impact of the Trump Administration on the judiciary with an LGBT lens. The Trump Administration has worked tirelessly to confirm ideologically driven judges in order to further their ultraconservative policy objectives in the courts. To achieve this aim, the administration has worked closely in tandem with outgoing Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and advisors from a powerful, but shrouded, network of right-wing organizations. For more information, READ https://www.lambdalegal.org/publications/trumps-judicial-assault-on-lgbt-rights

US Senator and US Representatives Introduce Legislation to Reduce Prescription Drug Plans

On Thursday, Jan. 10, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Joe Neguse (D-Co.), and other cosponsors in the House and Senate held a press conference to announce a legislative package of three bills that would drastically reduce prescription drug prices in the United States. These bills seek to provide policy solutions to address particular challenges in the current health insurance market such as giving HHS the authority to invalidate manufacturers’ exclusivity rights if their prices are deemed excessively high; allowing HHS to negotiate prices for prescription drugs under Medicare Part D; and permitting Americans to buy drugs from other countries, like Canada. For more information, WATCH https://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/video-audio/sanders-cummings-and-colleagues-announce-legislation-to-lower-drug-prices. For a good summary of how drug prices are set in the United States, LISTEN to a recent “Today, Explained” podcast regarding prescription drug prices: https://art19.com/shows/today-explained/episodes/cec4cf6e-55d0-4606-87ec-8ee2ad54b117

UPDATE: How the Government Shutdown Affects Health Programs

As the partial government shutdown stretches into unprecedented territory, several questions have been raised regarding the health and well-being of both the impacted government workers as well as the persons who benefit from government programs. For example, the USDA announced funding for SNAP (food stamps) will remain for February 2019 (for more information, READ https://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/usda-to-fund-snap-for-february-2019-but-millions-face-cuts-if-shutdown) but it’s unclear what will happen after February if the government does not re-open. Similarly, health care benefits are not expected to be interrupted for those affected by the current partial federal government shutdown (for more information, READ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/01/11/683770812/most-federal-workers-health-coverage-to-continue-during-shutdown-even-if-pay-sto). However, some people living with HIV have already begun encountering obstacles and financial impediments for accessing essential HIV treatment, including labs and prescription medications.

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal funding for HIV prevention and care. Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet to your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY19 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
• NMAC is planning for the new year and meeting our new members of congress we are very excited to talk to the new House about our priors. We spent last Thursday stopping by members’ offices to welcome them to Hill.
• NMAC is working in coalition to defend the right of people living with HIV to serve in the US military.

Important Happenings in HIV/Health Policy

Week ending: January 4, 2018
By: Sable K. Nelson & Matthew Rose

NOTE: The new Congress has arrived in DC, with historic numbers of women, people of color, and LGBTQ people. The 116th Congress began on January 3, 2019.

How The Government Shutdown Affects Health Programs

The partial federal government shutdown continues as Congress holds firm on its refusal to provide funding for the border wall. Medicare and Medicaid are fine, but the food safety component of the Food and Drug Administration and bio-threat surveillance done by the Department of Homeland Security are among the public health functions feeling the pinch. For more information, READ: https://khn.org/news/how-the-government-shutdown-affects-health-programs

Changes Proposed to Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Benefit

On November 26, 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a proposed rule to add unprecedented access restrictions to lifesaving HIV drugs under Medicare Part D that, if finalized, will jeopardize our nation’s efforts to provide treatment to Medicare beneficiaries living with HIV. Comments must be received no later than 5 p.m. on January 25, 2019. For more Information:, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/11/30/2018-25945/modernizing-part-d-and-medicare-advantage-to-lower-drug-prices-and-reduce-out-of-pocket-expenses. Click here to go directly to the comment submission page.

Kaiser Health News: Medicaid Plans Cover Doctors’ Visits, Hospital Care — And Now Your GED

Emilia Ford became pregnant at 15 and, after her daughter was born, dropped out of high school. As she held down different jobs during the past decade — including housekeeping and working in a relative’s retail store — she always thought about going for her GED to show she met high school academic skills. But the Brookhaven, Pa., woman needed assistance finding tutors and paying for the set of four tests, which cost $20 each. https://khn.org/news/medicaid-plans-cover-doctors-visits-hospital-care-and-now-your-ged/

Florida Rejects Ruling on HIV-AIDS Care Contracts

Outgoing Gov. Rick Scott’s administration has rejected an administrative law judge’s recommendation that the state should rebid Medicaid managed-care contracts in Southeast Florida for the treatment of people with HIV and AIDS. Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Justin Senior late last month issued a final order in a long-running dispute between the state and Positive Healthcare, a division of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. Positive Healthcare filed a legal challenge after the agency awarded Medicaid contracts to a competitor, Simply Healthcare Plans. Administrative Law Judge John Newton issued a recommended order in favor of Positive Healthcare, but, under state administrative law, the issue had to go back to the Agency for Health Administration for a final order. For more information, READ → https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-nsf-medicaid-contracts-hiv-aids-20190104-story.html

They tested positive for HIV. Then the military kicked them out.

Testing positive for HIV was difficult enough. Getting forced out of the military by the Air Force because of the diagnosis proved even harder.So say two U.S. airmen who filed suit on Wednesday against Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, arguing that the Pentagon’s decision last month to discharge them from the military owing to their HIV status violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause and federal law. Read_→https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/they-tested-positive-for-hiv-then-the-military-kicked-them-out/

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal funding for HIV prevention and care. Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet to your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY19 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
• NMAC is planning for the new year and meeting our new members of Congress. We are very excited to talk to the new House about our priorities. We spent last Thursday stopping by members offices to welcome them to the Hill.
• NMAC is working in coalition to defend the right of people living with HIV to serve in the US military.

Important Happenings in HIV/Health Policy

Year ending: December 18, 2018
By: Sable K. Nelson & Matthew Rose

Another year in the books and the norm continues of some hot HIV takes in this last month of the year. NMAC wants to give you the highlights of what is happening at this time of year. While this will not be an exhaustive list, it will be a marking of things that we are actively working on at the end of this year. We’ll be back into the new year with highlights and actions to take in the political arena. If you have any questions, do feel free to email us.

Ending the Epidemic

For the first time since the National HIV/AIDS Strategy in 2010, the domestic HIV community has come together to call on the U.S. government to declare an official goal of ending the domestic HIV epidemic by 2025 and urging it to enact legislative and regulatory policies and sufficient appropriations to achieve this goal. The Act Now: End AIDS coalition, with a process managed by AIDS United, solicited input from the larger HIV, public health, and reproductive health communities to develop the policy paper, titled Ending the HIV Epidemic in the United States: A Roadmap for Federal Action. To date, 300 HIV and community organizations from across the U.S. have provided their endorsement.

PEPFAR

Once again PEPFAR has been reauthorized with strong bipartisan support. For 15 years, PEPFAR helped to share critical resources to help fight the HIV epidemic aboard. In the areas of HIV prevention, treatment, and care, some of the world’s most vulnerable populations have benefited from this program, saving more than 17 million lives. PEPFAR has continued to support a rapid acceleration of HIV prevention by using data to increase program performance, mobilize domestic resources, and support local partners for sustainable implementation.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2018/12/12/18136716/pepfar-hiv-aids-trump-congress

Announcements from the Secretary

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar assured the HIV community on Tuesday that new proposals around Medicare Part D would not cut off critical access to lifesaving medications. The administration had proposed some changes to programs that could significantly hinder access for those living with HIV. In a speech at the 2018 National Ryan White Conference on HIV Care and Treatment in Maryland, Azar said the administration’s recent proposal to allow Medicare Part D plans to negotiate better prices for drugs in “protected class” would not limit access to antiretrovirals used to treat HIV. Public comment about this proposed rule is due at the end of next Monday. Furthermore, the Secretary also announced two co-chairs for the President’s Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS: Carl Schmid and John Wiesman. Schmid serves as deputy executive director of The AIDS Institute. Wiesman is Secretary of Health for Washington state.
https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/regulatory/azar-assures-hiv-patients-protected-class-proposal-won-t-cut-off-access-to-drugs

Administration threats future of HIV research

On December 5, 2018, the Washington Post broke a story about the Trump administration — by and through the Department of Health and Human Services — potentially curtailing an HIV research contract after pressure from anti-abortion activists because the project relies on fetal tissue to generate mice with humanized immune systems, an important animal model for HIV research. Other similar research is also likely to come under threat. (WaPo story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/trump-administration-threatens-future-of-hiv-research-hub/2018/12/04/f2e8e0ec-f7dd-11e8-863c-9e2f864d47e7_story.html?utm_term=.7d9094e88286)

Week Ending: Nov. 9, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson

NOTE: The U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives returned from recess on Nov. 13th.

Key Take Healthcare Related Takeaways from the 2018 Midterms
Health Care Was the Most Important Issue to Voters, Fueling a Democratic Majority in the House of Representatives

According to national exit polls, voters said health care was the most important issue by a two-to-one margin compared to the second most important issue, immigration, 41 percent to 23 percent, and Democrats won those voters 77 percent to 22 percent. Among the competitive GOP-held districts, Democrats had an 8 point advantage on health care, 52 to 44 percent. When it comes specifically to protecting people with pre-existing conditions, voters preferred Democrats over Republicans by a 24-point margin , 58 percent to 34 percent.

While most of us were focused on selecting elected officials, voters across the country also weighed in on several ballot initiatives in many states that will impact healthcare (including Medicaid expansion). For more information about what happened, please and how it may impact you, READ → https://www.salon.com/2018/11/10/midterm-results-show-health-is-important-to-voters-but-no-magic-bullet_partner/

The Trump-Pence Administration Finalized Dangerous and Unlawful Birth Control Rules Just One Day After the Mid-Term Elections

The day after the mid-term elections, the Trump-Pence Administration ramped up its assault on women’s health. In addition to attacking insurance coverage of abortion and the Title X family planning program, the Administration finalized two rules that would gut the Affordable Care Act’s birth control benefit, which requires health plans to cover all FDA-approved birth control methods for women without out-of-pocket cost. If the final rules go into effect as the Trump-Pence Administration would like them to on January 14, 2019, they will allow virtually any employer or university claiming a religious or moral exemption to deny insurance coverage of birth control to their employees and students. NWLC is suing the Trump-Pence Administration and supporting legal challenges by several states to stop these dangerous rules from going into effect.
READ → https://nwlc.org/blog/the-trump-pence-administration-finalized-dangerous-and-unlawful-birth-control-rules-just-one-day-after-the-mid-term-elections/

LISTEN: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Split Decision On Health Care

In the latest episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call and Joanne Kenen of Politico discuss the Trump administration’s new birth control coverage rules and the potential impact of the midterm election results on health policy. For more information, READ → https://khn.org/news/podcast-khns-what-the-health-split-decision-on-health-care/

Understanding the Various Healthcare Proposals (such as Medicare-For-All and Single-Payer?)

As politicians across the country toss about such health care catchphrases, sometimes interchangeably, many voters say they’re “just confused.” As we prepare for a new Congress, please take a moment to understand the various healthcare proposals. For more information → https://khn.org/news/quick-whats-the-difference-between-medicare-for-all-and-single-payer/

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care. Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet to your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines. Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC is beginning to meet with the new congress to make sure HIV remains front and center
• Working on national Ending the Epidemic plans and implementation
• Engaging with the CDC about molecular surveillance

Week Ending: Oct. 5, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson

NOTE: The U.S. House of Representatives is out on recess until Nov. 13 (after the 2018 mid-term elections). The U.S. Senate is still in session this week.

Positive Women’s Network Hosts Webinar on Public Charge Impact on PLWH

On October 03, 2018 the Positive Women’s Network USA hosted a webinar entitled “Public Charge: What Does It Mean for the HIV Community?” Throughout history, people have moved to make better lives for themselves and their children. Trump’s “public charge” rule change, will reduce our neighbors, who want the same things for their families that we all want–health, safety, dignity, economic security–to a calculation of what is in their pockets when they arrive and the cost of any pre-existing health conditions they may have. The invaluable contributions of immigrants to their communities, families, and our nation will be ignored and discarded. To view the slide deck, click here: https://www.pwn-usa.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Webinar-Slides-Public-Charge-and-HIV.pdf

Changes In SAMHSA Leadership

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced that the director of its mental health center, Paolo del Vecchio, is being reassigned. Paolo del Vecchio, who has led the agency’s mental health center since 2012, has been tapped to run its Office of Management, Technology, and Operations. HIV is inextricably linked to mental health. Moreover, SAMHSA plays an important role in HIV prevention and treatment in communities of color. SAMHSA received $116.0 m for its Minority AIDS Initiative programming in FY18. The program has been flat-funded and will receive the same amount in FY19. For more information, READ: https://www.politico.com/newsletters/morning-ehealth/2018/10/05/search-for-vha-head-gets-serious-363423 (please see: LEADERSHIP SHUFFLE AT SAMHSA)

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Some Things Old, Some Things New

In this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner discuss final action on bills in Congress to address the opioid epidemic and fund federal health agencies. They also look at new efforts by the Food and Drug Administration to crack down on teen nicotine use. For more information, LISTEN: https://khn.org/news/podcast-khns-what-the-health-some-things-old-some-things-new/

U.S. SENATOR TAMMY BALDWIN FILES DISCHARGE PETITION TO FORCE SENATE VOTE ON OVERTURNING TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S EXPANSION OF JUNK INSURANCE PLANS

On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin filed a discharge petition that will force a Senate vote on her resolution to overturn the Trump Administration’s expansion of junk insurance plans that can deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions and don’t have to provide essential health services like prescription drugs, emergency room visits and maternity care.
Senator Baldwin’s effort is supported by more than 20 of the nation’s top health care organizations including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), American Heart Association, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, NARAL Pro-Choice America, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, WomenHeart, National Women’s Law Center, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Physicians, American Osteopathic Association, American Psychiatric Association, Residential Eating Disorders Consortium, Protect Our Care, Families USA, AIDS United, Association for Community Affiliated Plans, Mental Health America and the Little Lobbyists.

The signed discharge petition is available here.

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care.  Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.  Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE in time for the general mid-term election happening this year:

For more information, VISIT→ https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state/

Finally, PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION(S) in your state: 11/6/18

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC working to supporting HIV-positive members of the military in their fight about the administration separation.
• NMAC is working with coalition partners on working on the drafting the next round of ending the epidemic.
• NMAC will continue to support getting out the vote efforts up to November 6 to express the importance of voting and what it can mean for the election.

 Have a policy question? E-mail us! We would like to help if we can. Mrose@nmac.org or SNelson@nmac.org

Week Ending: Sept. 28, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson

Threat To The ACA Turns Up The Heat On Attorney General Races

According to recent reporting by Kaiser Health News, as Republican and Democratic attorneys general square off on a Texas case that threatens to dismantle consumer protections in the federal health law, campaigns across the country for states’ highest legal officer get hotter. For more information, READ: https://khn.org/news/threat-to-the-aca-turns-up-the-heat-on-attorney-general-races/

CMS Administrator Verma Stresses Work Requirements

At the 2018 Medicaid Managed Care Summit in Washington, Seema Verma, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator responded to the opposition to Medicaid work requirements by stating: “I have heard the criticism and felt the resistance, but I reject the premise and here is why: It is not compassionate to trap people on government programs or create greater dependency on public assistance as we expand programs like Medicaid.” Over 4,300 Medicaid expansion enrollees in Arkansas are losing coverage because they did not comply with the state’s work requirement mandate. According to recent reports, more than 1,000 Arkansas Works enrollees have found jobs since the program began in July. Also in her comments, Administrator Verma affirmed her support for block granting Medicaid, saying the only way the federal government can end its micromanagement of states is to move away from entitlement programs. For more information, READ: http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20180927/NEWS/180929907

A Critical Look at the Decision of the NIH in Funding New Prevention Research

The new IRMA report “Whose Choice is it Anyway?” takes a look at the NIH’s decision to no longer fund prevention technologies that are used at time of sex and are topical. The NIH conducted an input process last year that concluded with a release of new HIV prevention research priorities that favor long acting, systemic formulations (like vaccines, implants and injectables) and negate the need for short acting, user-controlled, non-systemic approaches (like vaginal and rectal microbicides). IRMA was curious about the input that was collected—did most scientists, advocates, and other stakeholders indeed prioritize long acting, systemic formulations, showing little to no interest in other approaches like microbicides?

You can check out the slides and listen to the recording here.

Please share the report widely, and reach out directly to the folks in power at the NIH and the HPTN. They STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO US. They still have the opportunity to walk the talk, to stand by their stated commitment to listen to communities and to work with us to create HIV prevention options WE want.

Buyer Beware: New Cheaper Insurance Policies May Have Big Coverage Gaps

If you’re looking for cheaper health insurance, a whole host of new options will hit the market starting Tuesday. But buyer beware! If you get sick, the new plans – known as short-term, limited duration insurance — may not pay for the medical care you need. Read more:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/10/01/652141154/buyer-beware-new-cheaper-insurance-policies-may-have-big-coverage-gaps

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care.  Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.  Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE in time for the general mid-term election happening this year:

For more information, VISIT→ https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state/

Finally, PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION(S) in your state: 11/6/18

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC is working to provide information to federal agencies as they work on the 2020 budgets.NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY19 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
• NMAC released a Biomedical HIV Prevention “Blueprint” entitled Expanding Access to Biomedical HIV Prevention: Tailoring Approaches for Effectively Serving Communities of Color, a new report that establishes strategies to effectively use techniques such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) to end the HIV epidemic in communities of color. The full report can be found by visiting www.nmac.org/blueprint.

 Have a policy question? E-mail us! We would like to help if we can. Mrose@nmac.org or SNelson@nmac.org

Week Ending: Sept. 21, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson

Two House Democrats Call to Subpoena Trump Administration Regarding Medicaid Work Requirements

Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-MD) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), sent a letter to House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-S.C., on Thursday to request a subpoena to compel the Trump administration to turn over key documents relating to their push to implement work requirements for Medicaid. The goal is for the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Leadership to compel the White House to share more information on the possible effects of its move to tie Medicaid eligibility to employment. Reps. Cummings (D-MD) and Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) assert that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) are withholding documents related to Medicaid work requirements and what it could mean for beneficiaries. Reps. Cummings (D-MD) and Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) inquiry came a week after more than 4,000 Arkansas residents lost Medicaid coverage due to work rules in the state. For more information, READ → https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/healthcare/democrats-seek-to-subpoena-documents-on-medicaid-work-rulesl

Proposed Immigration Rule Changes Likely to Adversely Impact PLWH

The Trump administration released a proposed rule which seeks to empower the Administration to effectively impose a merit-based immigration system without an act of Congress. The proposed rule would permit the rejection of immigrants from the US if they have too little income and/or education. The intention is to impose harsher rules for determining when immigrants are likely to be considered a “public charge.” According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, “‘public charge’ means an individual who is likely to become primarily dependent on the government for subsistence, as demonstrated by either the receipt of public cash assistance for income maintenance or institutionalization for long-term care at government expense” (https://www.uscis.gov/greencard/public-charge). This legal determination can block an individual’s path to permanent residency (i.e., obtaining a green card). The proposed public charge test does not apply to persons seeking asylum, refugees, Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) applicants, etc. According to a reporting by The Body, However, the proposed changes to the public charge rule “…would essentially operate as a de facto ban on HIV-positive individuals seeking permanent residence in the U.S. Immigrants with disabilities or pre-existing medical conditions such as HIV/AIDS would be required to show proof of unsubsidized health insurance — i.e., no Medicaid, ADAP, or Obamacare, thus creating a back door to a reinstatement of the HIV immigration ban.” (http://www.thebody.com/content/81028/public-charge-rule-devastating-hiv-immigrants.html) For more information, READ → https://abcnews.go.com/Health/things-trumps-public-charge-immigration-proposal/story?id=58064875

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ Health On The Hill

n this episode of KHN’s “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Rebecca Adams of CQ Roll Call, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times, and Joanne Kenen of Politico talk about a spate of health-related legislative action on Capitol Hill, including Senate passage of a bill to address the opioid epidemic. Plus, for extra credit, the panelists recommend their favorite health policy stories of the week. For more information, LISTEN → https://khn.org/news/podcast-khn-what-the-health-september-20-2018-health-on-the-hill/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=66112809&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9OFJGo63PgMvJLHAgsxhXmLHSHPw-ido84UeTH8-9sN-jbMYXe3N176G684G_BEwJvxpC–5_cQ8qlVZJy4J6sohESEA&_hsmi=66112809

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care.  Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.  Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE in time for the general mid-term election happening this year:

For more information, VISIT→ https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state/

Finally, PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION(S) in your state: 11/6/18

For more information, VISIT→ http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC is working to provide information to federal agencies as they work on the 2020 budgets.
• NMAC is working in coalition to respond to the new rule on public charge issued by the administration.
• NMAC continues to engage with coalitions to push back on the implication of work requirements on state Medicaid programs.
• NMAC continues to do work on protecting HIV-positive service members from the new DoD separation policy.

 Have a policy question? E-mail us! We would like to help if we can. Mrose@nmac.org or SNelson@nmac.org

Week Ending: Sept. 14, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson

Conference Committees Agrees on FY19 Health and Human Services Spending bill; Proposed HIV Cuts Fail

A bipartisan group of Appropriators have finished work on a package covering Defense and Labor-HHS-Education appropriations, along the way rejecting several policy measures. The Labor-HHS-Education bill (H.R. 6157) would provide nearly $178.1 billion in discretionary funding, a $1 billion increase over fiscal 2018. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) would receive $90.5 billion, a $2.3 billion increase over fiscal 2018. Specifically, as it related to domestic HIV programs, Congress’ funding bill rejected all of the cuts proposed by the Trump Administration. The President proposed to cut funding for HIV prevention, viral hepatitis prevention, and STD prevention at the CDC, as well as eliminate the Ryan White AIDS Education and Training Centers, Ryan White Special Projects of National Significance, the HHS Secretary’s Minority AIDS Initiative Fund, and Minority AIDS Initiative funding at SAMHSA. Now, the bill must be considered from the full House. It passed the Senate on Tuesday afternoon in a vote of 93-7. For more information, READ: https://www.axios.com/senate-passes-health-human-services-spending-bill-bba71d58-f5fb-42eb-abdc-51bc36994c76.html

Court Rules Case Challenging Defense Department’s Discriminatory HIV Policies to Proceed

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia denied the government’s motion to dismiss. Moreover, the plaintiffs’ motion to halt implementation of a new Department of Defense policy that likely would have resulted in the discharge of service members living with HIV was also denied because the Pentagon modified the policy after the plaintiffs filed the motion. Earlier this year, Lambda Legal and OutServe-SLDN filed two cases in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia against the Defense Department. The cases are entitled Harrison v. Mattis and Voe v. Mattis. The Harrison case was filed on behalf of Sgt. Nick Harrison, a veteran of two overseas combat zones who was denied a position in the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps because current Pentagon policy considers service members living with HIV non-deployable and will not allow them to enlist or to be appointed as officers. The Voe case, filed on behalf of a sergeant in the D.C. Army National Guard who was denied the opportunity to serve as an officer and faces possible discharge from the United States armed services because he is living with HIV. These cases challenge the military’s discriminatory policies governing the enlistment, deployment, and promotion of service members living with HIV. For more information, READ: http://www.thebody.com/content/81327/court-rules-case-challenging-defense-departments-d.html

NASTAD Releases Medicaid 1115 Waivers Fact Sheets and 
Updated Interactive Map

NASTAD released two new fact sheets: Medicaid 1115 Waivers: Considerations for HIV and Hepatitis Programs and Medicaid 1115 Waivers: Exemptions for People Living with HIV and Hepatitis, as well as an updated version of its Medicaid Waiver Map. These new NASTAD resources are designed to help HIV and hepatitis stakeholders understand the shifting Medicaid landscape, help clients navigate these changes, and engage state-level decision makers to inform policies that protect people living with HIV and hepatitis from changes that can jeopardize access to affordable coverage and care. Several states are seeking “waivers” that roll back Medicaid protections and impose burdensome eligibility requirements such as work requirements and monthly premiums. Medicaid provides health coverage to millions of Americans, including eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults, and people with disabilities. Medicaid is administered by states, according to federal requirements. The program is funded jointly by states and the federal government. The federal agency that administers the Medicaid Program is the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Some Medicaid waivers have already been approved by CMS. It is likely that more approvals will occur in the future.

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care.  Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.  Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE in time for the general mid-term election happening this year:

For more information, VISIT→ https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state/

Finally, PARTICIPATE IN THE GENERAL ELECTION(S) in your state: 11/6/18

For more information, VISIT→ http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC is working in coalition with Outserve-SLDN, Lambda Legal, The SERO Project, and HRC to push back on the congressional level to protect HIV positive Service Members.
• NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY19 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
• NMAC released a Biomedical HIV Prevention “Blueprint” entitled Expanding Access to Biomedical HIV Prevention: Tailoring Approaches for Effectively Serving Communities of Color, a new report that establishes strategies to effectively use techniques such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) to end the HIV epidemic in communities x`of color. The full report can be found by visiting www.nmac.org/blueprint

 Have a policy question? E-mail us! We would like to help if we can. Mrose@nmac.org or SNelson@nmac.org

Week Ending: August 17, 2018
By: Matthew Rose & Sable K. Nelson

NOTE: The Senate returned from its scheduled recess on Wednesday, August 15.The House remains in recess until September 4.

ViiV Healthcare reports positive 48-week results for first pivotal, phase III study for novel, long-acting, injectable HIV-treatment regimen

The Antiretroviral Therapy as Long-Acting Suppression (ATLAS) study meets primary endpoint, showing similar efficacy of a once-a-month, investigational, injectable two-drug regimen of cabotegravir and rilpivirine compared to a standard of care, daily, oral three-drug regimen. The study showed long-acting cabotegravir and rilpivirine, injected once a month, had similar efficacy to a standard of care, daily, oral three-drug regimen at Week 48. Full results from the study will be presented at an upcoming scientific meeting. For more information, READ: www.natap.org

Podcast: KHN’s ‘What The Health?’ See You In Court!


In this episode of Kaiser Health Network’s (KHN) “What the Health?” Julie Rovner of Kaiser Health News, Alice Ollstein of Talking Points Memo, Margot Sanger-Katz of The New York Times and Kimberly Leonard of the Washington Examiner talk about a spate of lawsuits involving the Affordable Care Act, as well as the latest in state and federal efforts regarding the Medicaid program for the poor. For more information, LISTEN  https://khn.org/news/podcast-khns-what-the-health-see-you-in-court/?utm_campaign=KHN%20-%20Weekly%20Edition&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=65278495&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_OxJYvxVjxXbZgn1vzU1V-nZIak7GEc1wgtvYj0o2IWhDQ2-CoSu_mpxxLL7ljKH3O5Y4JPrsy-nEJ7W-XpwSQW2ORcA&_hsmi=65278495

Azar Meets With Specialty and Patient Groups about Drug Pricing

On Wednesday, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Alex Azar met with representatives of specialty-physician and patient groups to discuss the Trump Administration’s efforts to offer new tools for Medicare Advantage plans to negotiate lower drug prices for patients. The groups included the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, the American College of Rheumatology, the American Society of Clinical Oncologists, and Patients for Affordable Drugs. Both Secretary Azar and the organizational representatives expressed appreciation for the opportunity to share their views with each other on the announcement that Medicare Advantage plans will be able to use step therapy or prior authorization to negotiate lower drug prices for patients.
https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/458876035/hhs-secretary-azar-meets-with-specialty-and-patient-groups-regarding-drug-pricing

What You Can Do

TAKE ACTION: It is very important that our elected officials hear from us to protect federal HIV funding for HIV prevention and care.  Speak truth to power by sharing your personal stories with your elected officials. It is vitally important to meet your federal elected officials when they are at home. If we don’t support and advocate for HIV funding and programs, who will?  Our movement cannot afford to stand on the sidelines.  Your U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives need to hear from you.

• Find your U.S. Senators: https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
• Find your U.S. Representative: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE REGISTERED TO VOTE in time for the primary and general elections happening this year:

For more information, VISIT→ https://www.eac.gov/voters/register-and-vote-in-your-state/

Finally, PARTICIPATE IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION(S) in your state:

For more information, VISIT→ http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/2018-state-primary-election-dates.aspx

What NMAC is Doing About It

• NMAC remains vigilant in its advocacy to protect FY19 government funding and the existence of the social safety net.
• NMAC released a Biomedical HIV Prevention “Blueprint” entitled Expanding Access to Biomedical HIV Prevention: Tailoring Approaches for Effectively Serving Communities of Color, a new report that establishes strategies to effectively use techniques such as Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Treatment as Prevention (TasP) to end the HIV epidemic in communities x`of color. The full report can be found by visiting www.nmac.org/blueprint