AIDS Action Weekly Update

• This Week in DC
  • Community Planning and Leadership Summit (CPLS)
  • Urban Coalition of HIV/AIDS Prevention Services (UCHAPS)
  • Chris Bates Visits AIDS Action
  • AIDS Action Releases Medicaid Report
• In the News
  • CMS Releases Projections for Medical Care Costs
  • Far From a Vaccine/Cure
  • HRSA Announces Training and Technical Assistance for Third Party Reimbursement

This Week in DC

Community Planning and Leadership Summit (CPLS)

AIDS Action Staff members attended the 2002 CPLS Meeting in Chicago, Illinois last week. The conference, which has been an annual part of the prevention dialogue, has traditionally engaged Community Planning Groups in HIV prevention needs and concerns. Although this conference typically focuses on technical issues around HIV prevention, epidemiology, policy development, and research and evaluation, AIDS Action was able to meet with various community organizations, members of community planning groups and officials from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention to assess their needs, concerns, and abilities to address HIV prevention. AIDS Action staff will use this information to develop and re-invigorate the national dialogue that addresses the most pending concerns of the HIV and STD prevention communities.

Urban Coalition of HIV/AIDS Prevention Services (UCHAPS)

On Saturday, March 9, 2002. Dr. Marsha Martin met with members of UCHAPS, the six directly funded cities most impacted by HIV/AIDS. Dr. Martin engaged with members of the six cities (Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco) around the issues of capacity building and technical assistance for smaller community organizations. Without infrastructure support, the ability of an agency to develop, deliver, and sustain prevention interventions is severely compromised. Prior to coming to AIDS Action, Dr. Martin was consulting with Los Angeles County around issues of capacity building. The discussion with UCHAPS centered on what the largest cities are doing and how AIDS Action can collaborate with UCHAPS around HIV prevention and technical assistance for all communities affected with HIV/AIDS.

Chris Bates Visits AIDS Action

Acting Deputy Director of Office of National AIDS Policy (ONAP), Chris Bates, briefed the entire AIDS Action staff regarding ongoing ONAP research being conducted to meet unmet needs. Currently using the Rapid Assessment and Response Evaluation (RARE) model, ONAP is working with the chief elected official, local community leaders, service providers and public health and law enforcement officials in the community. The reasoning behind the RARE model is, "like snowflakes, no two communities are alike." This innovative model allows ONAP to quickly identify emerging trends in the transmission of HIV/AIDS.

AIDS Action Releases Medicaid Report

AIDS Action released its most recent Policy Facts report, "Catch-22: Medicaid and HIV." This document is one of many publications released by the organization, intended to bring timely AIDS information to policy makers, community-based organizations, students, researchers, and the general public.

In the News

CMS Releases Projections for Medical Care Costs

On Tuesday March 12, The Washington Post reported a release by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), formerly the Health Care Finance Administration (HCFA) within the Department of Health and Human Services, which projected the cost of medical care to double by 2011. The report by CMS also projected an annual inflation of medical costs of approximately 7.3%. This number is similar to the 7.2% inflation rate projected by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The disparity in the projected number from CBO and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the White House was the topic of a recent hearing on February 28, where DHHS Secretary Tommy Thompson testified before the House Budget Committee regarding the HHS projected increases of 5.7% over the next 10. To learn more about the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services: http://cms.hhs.gov/.

Far From a Vaccine/Cure

On March 11, the Los Angeles Times reported on fading hopes among the research community for a quick breakthrough due to increasing side effects of the drugs and increasing concern over resistant strains of the virus. The side affects of some Protease Inhibitors are so serious, some patients are abandoning their medical regiments or taking "vacations" from their medication schedule, often resulting in disastrous consequences. These reports, coming from the Retrovirus Conference held in February in Seattle, Washington, increase the sense of urgency in the HIV/AIDS community with regard to the desperate need for effective prevention tools. To learn more about effective prevention tools: www.aidsaction.org.

HRSA Announces Training and Technical Assistance for Third-Party Reimbursement

The Health resources Services Administration (HRSA) within the Department of Health and Human Services has announced that they will be holding a Technical and Training Assistance meeting around issues of Third-Party Reimbursement designed to help organizations increase revenues from third party sources such as Medicaid, State Children's Health Insurance Programs, Medicare, and private insurance. HRSA grantees and sub-grantees, including Ryan White CARE Act grantees, are required to pursue third party payment; however, not all organizations are taking full advantages of the opportunities to take full advantages of this program. This meeting will take place in Lansing, Michigan on April 29-30, 2002. THERE IS NO REGISTRATION FEE to participate. Informational sessions will focus on billing and coding, reimbursement infrastructure, collection and implementing new techniques. For more information and the registration process, go to http://www.hrsa.gov/tpr.