Halting Medicaid Expansion is a bad move for NC

 PRESS STATEMENT                                          CONTACT: Claire Hermann

Feb 13, 2013                                                                  (919) 533-9677, claire@ncaan.org

HALTING MEDICAID EXPANSION A BAD MOVE FOR NORTH CAROLINA

The North Carolina House of Representative’s preliminary vote tonight to halt Medicaid expansion is bad news for hardworking North Carolinians. 

Medicaid expansion would insure 500,000 people, save lives, create jobs, sustain rural hospitals, and reduce the costs of uncompensated care.

Right now, low-income people living with HIV must wait until they are sick enough to qualify as disabled before they can be insured through Medicaid, even though we know that early treatment can improve health outcomes, reduce the cost of care, and dramatically slow transmission of the virus.

Expanding access to care for people living with HIV could be the key to turning around the HIV/AIDS epidemic in North Carolina, where an estimated 35,000 people are living with HIV.

The chance to improve the health of hardworking people in this state while creating and sustaining critical healthcare jobs should be more important than partisan politics.

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ADAP Watch

As of February 07, 2013, there are 6,487 individuals enrolled in the NC HIV Medication Program (4,922 on ADAP, 1,094 on SPAP, and 471 on PCIP). 

Justice Department Settles Fayetteville HIV Discrimination Case

  A Wilmington pain clinic will pay damages and a fine, and enact anti-discrimination policies as part of a settlement with the Department of Justice in an HIV discrimination case, the Department announced last week.

Sarah Campbell, the complaintant, says that the Fayetteville Pain Clinic refused to treat her for back pain because she is HIV positive.

“This case sends a clear message that healthcare providers have a responsibility not to discriminate against clients based on their status,” says Allison Rice, supervising attorney at the Duke AIDS Law Project, who represented Campbell.

“And it sends the message that if people are discriminated against, there are ways for them to fight back,” Rice says.

The settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative.

Campbell says a doctor at the Fayetteville Pain Clinic refused to treat her after she was referred to the pain clinic for back pain. “I’ve never had a doctor treat me like that,” Campbell said, “I could have crawled in a hole.”

Campbell says she’s happy with the settlement.

“The only thing I was really hoping for is for him to treat anyone else like he treated me,” she said. “It looks like that is what is going to happen. I just didn’t want anyone else to feel like that."

People living with HIV/AIDS often report facing discrimination and stigma, even in healthcare settings, says Claire Hermann, communications program coordinator at the North Carolina AIDS Action Network.

“We’re glad to see the federal government stepping up,” said Hermann. “Clients have a right to be treated with respect. Healthcare providers should be educated about HIV/AIDS and realize that the virus cannot be transmitted through casual contact.”

Campbell agrees. “To me, having HIV is a lot like having heart disease,” she says. “If you learn more about it, you can treat it better. I’ve never been afraid to talk with people about having HIV. I hope it can be a learning experience.”

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