Finding Health Care; Preparing for the Future

As a longtime HIV benefits counselor and policy advocate, I have spent many years helping to link individuals with their health and disability benefits. Over the years, I have witnessed dramatic changes in the benefits needs of people living with HIV/AIDS.

In the late '80s and early '90s, accessing benefits was fairly direct as most individuals automatically qualified for disability benefits. Things changed dramatically in the late 1990s when there was a sudden need for return-to-work benefits following the introduction of HAART. In recent years, there has been a more troubling trend with regard to benefits, as we now see an unprecedented number of individuals unable to find needed benefits due to their inability to meet outdated disability standards.