CONGRESSWOMAN WATERS INTRODUCES
THE ROUTINE HIV SCREENING COVERAGE
ACT
Cites
Importance of Monitoring Epidemic and Encouraging People to Take
Precautions
April 29, 2009 - Washington, DC
- Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-35) today re-introduced the
Routine HIV Screening Coverage Act (H.R. 822 in the 110th Congress).
This bill would require health insurance plans to cover routine HIV tests under
the same terms and conditions as other routine health screenings.
“Standard health insurance
plans now cover HIV tests only when there are clinical indications of infection
or when there are known risk factors present, but they should cover HIV tests as
routine procedures,” said Congresswoman Waters. “Routine HIV screening is a key
to stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS. It will encourage more people to get tested
and raise awareness about the continuing risk of the disease. It will also allow
thousands of Americans who are living with HIV/AIDS but do not know it to find
out about their infection, begin life-extending treatment, and avoid spreading
the virus to others.”
Last year, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that there were 56,300 new HIV
infections in the United
States in 2006. This figure is approximately
40% higher than the CDC’s previous estimate of 40,000 new infections per year.
Twenty-one percent of the people who are living with HIV/AIDS in the
United
States do not know they are infected.
“Recent news about the swine
flu virus reminds us of the importance of monitoring epidemics and encouraging
people to take precautions to protect their health. It is important that we
remain vigilant in our efforts to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS even as we respond
to this most recent threat to public health,” the Congresswoman
added.
The Routine HIV Screening
Coverage Act is one of several legislative initiatives related to HIV/AIDS that
Congresswoman Waters is pursuing in the 111th Congress. She
introduced H.R. 1429, the Stop AIDS in Prison Act, which passed the House on
March 17th and is now awaiting consideration in the Senate. This bill
requires the Federal Bureau of Prisons to develop a comprehensive policy to
provide HIV testing, treatment and prevention programs for inmates in Federal
prisons.
Congresswoman Waters is also
an advocate for the expansion of the Minority AIDS Initiative, which she
established in 1998, working with the Clinton Administration and the
Congressional Black Caucus. The Minority AIDS Initiative provides grants for
HIV/AIDS awareness, treatment and prevention programs that serve minority
communities. The initiative has received approximately $400 million per year in
appropriations since fiscal year 2003.
“I am calling for at least
$610 million in funding this year to expand the Minority AIDS Initiative and
stop the spread of HIV/AIDS among communities of color, which have been
disproportionately impacted by this disease,” said Congresswoman
Waters.
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