HRC Blog

House Committee Considers Ryan White Reauthorization

September 9, 2009

aidsribbon Today, the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing on legislation to reauthorize the Ryan White CARE Act , the nation’s largest federally-funded HIV/AIDS program. Designed to fill the gaps in care left by Medicare, Medicaid and other public health insurance, CARE Act programs have helped more than half a million low-income people with HIV and AIDS since the Act was first passed in 1990. The highly-successful Act has been reauthorized three times since then, but is scheduled to expire at the end of this month unless Congress takes action. Joining with a coalition of over 300 national, state and local HIV/AIDS organizations, HRC has called for a three-year extension of the CARE Act and recommended a number of provisions that should be included in the reauthorization. HRC also submitted written testimony at today’s hearing in support of those recommendations. HIV/AIDS remains a critical issue for the LGBT community and HRC will continue to push for a robust federal response to fighting the epidemic and improving the lives of those living with HIV and AIDS.