DRAFT SON INDEX
Explanation of Index Components
Rationale. Each item in the SON Index has a clear reason for being there. Below is an explanation of the rationale for each component.
| Component |
Rationale |
| Cases |
Need is direct function of the number of people who require care |
| Federal Insurance Reduction |
Federal government already pays a portion of HIV/AIDS costs through Medicare and Medicaid |
| Regional Costs |
The cost of medical services varies across jurisdictions |
| Poverty |
Areas with high poverty may have inadequate infrastructure for HIV/AIDS care.
Patients themselves may be poorer and more needy. |
| Death Rate among People with AIDS |
Direct indicator of higher need
OMB PART performance measure |
| Prevalence Rate |
Areas with high prevalence rate shoulder a disproportionate burden per uninfected person |
Measurement Proxies. Each component in the SON Index is a reflection of a need. The chart below explains the need factor(s) measured by each component. For example, the straightforward component, cases, is a reflection of the number of living HIV and AIDS cases. Poverty, in contrast, is a reflection of multiple needs—from lack of health insurance to poor access to care.
| Component |
Need Factors Captured |
| Cases |
Reported living HIV and AIDS cases |
| Federal Insurance Reduction |
Medicare/Medicaid enrollment
Medicare/Medicaid benefit adequacy
Federal share of total Medicare/Medicaid payments
Proportion of Ryan White funds devoted to medical services |
| Regional Costs |
Differences in medical labor costs
Differences in regional rent costs |
| Poverty |
Lack of insurance
Poor access to medical services
Racial and ethnic disparities
Higher than average substance abuse rates |
| Death Rate among People with AIDS |
Lack of access to timely medical care
Patients with longer durations of infection
Resistance to antiviral therapies
Untreated substance abuse |
| Prevalence Rate |
Burden per person of area population |
Data Sources. Below is a description of the data source used to assess each component.
| Item |
Description /Source |
Year |
Status |
| Cases |
Living Cases of AIDS + HIV from CDC
Living Cases of HIV from Code-based States
|
2005 |
Complete |
| Geographic Costs |
Medical staff wages from BLS
Rent values from HUD
|
2006 |
Complete |
| Federal Insurance |
Estimates of the number of people with SSI, SSDI,
or both as a result of an HIV/AIDS diagnosis
Information on Medicaid, Medically Needy eligibility
Information on special Medicaid enrollment programs 2006 Interim
Provided by SSA |
2006 |
Interim values |
| Death Rate |
Deaths over a 5-year period divided by the total life years
lived by people with AIDS only in that same period
Provided by CDC |
2001– 2005 |
Time period complete |
| Poverty |
Average percentage of population below
100% of FPL, past 5 years
U.S. Census
|
2006 |
Complete |
| Prevalence |
Number of cases / total population |
2006 |
Complete |
|
