Tag: Sebelius
HHS to States: No Way to Half-Way Medicaid Expansion
On December 10th, the federal government released a detailed Q & A for states on health care reform implementation. Most importantly, HHS declared that states will not be allowed to enact a Medicaid expansion that is less than 138% of the federal poverty level and still receive the enhanced federal funding for the expansion. In [...]
Advocates to HHS: Leverage Expert HIV Care Systems in Medicaid
National and state AIDS advocates on December 5, 2012, urged U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to leverage the expertise of providers funded by the Ryan White Program when developing new programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Advocates also thanked Sec. Sebelius for the pledge she made on World [...]
Sebelius: Medicaid Health Homes to Include HIV
During a World AIDS Day commemoration at the White House on Thursday, November 29, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that HIV/AIDS will be added to the list of chronic conditions that states can manage through the Medicaid Health Home program. The Affordable Care Act allows state Medicaid programs to receive increased federal funding to coordinate [...]
Sign the petition to HHS: Improve Essential Health Benefits! Deadline Jan. 31
[UPDATE: The petition was submitted January 31, 2011 with over 2,700 signatures. Good job, community!] Please sign this urgent petition from the AIDS Institute! And please forward widely to your friends and contacts. The voice of patients, including those who are living with HIV/AIDS, is critical as the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) determines [...]
Essential Health Benefits: What’s it mean for people with HIV?
On December 16, 2011, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that states would decide what essential health benefits will be provided under health care reform. Although we had urged HHS to adopt a uniform, national benefits floor that states could build on, the federal proposal offers important flexibility for states. (Check [...]
Sign on to the “I Am Essential” Coalition
We believe that organizations who serve the most vulnerable groups in the United States should have a say in what the government calls “essential”. Recognizing an absence of the patient voice in the essential benefits debate, patient advocacy groups representing those who live with chronic diseases and disability have joined together to launch the “I AM ESSENTIAL” campaign. The [...]
Candy Canes for Congress
We know some members of the U.S. House who are getting an extra candy cane in their stockings this year! We want to thank the over 50 House members who came together on December 5 and urged U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to address the needs of people with HIV [...]