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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Jan. 21, 2000 		Contact: Tom Flavin, HRSA/HAB Press Office
(301) 443-1745

HHS AWARDS $527 MILLION FOR HIV/AIDS CARE IN HIGH INCIDENCE AREAS

HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala today announced $527 million in Ryan White CARE Act grants to fund primary health care and support services for low-income individuals in the 51 eligible metropolitan areas (EMAs) hardest hit by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. For the second year, each EMA will also receive funds to target communities of color, under a Clinton Administration initiative that addresses the increasing burden of HIV/AIDS among racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans and Hispanics.

"These funds should help local communities better meet the demand of providing health care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS," said Secretary Shalala. "In particular, we are proud to continue our work with the Congressional Black Caucus in targeting additional funds to address the changing demographics of HIV/AIDS."

Under Title I of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, EMAs receive formula and supplemental grant awards based on the number of people in the EMA living with HIV disease. Title I grants provide essential HIV/AIDS health care and a wide range of support services to those who lack or are only partially covered by health insurance. Services include physician visits, case management, assistance in obtaining medications, home-based and hospice care, substance abuse and mental health services, and other needed services. To qualify for Title I funding, an EMA must have a population of at least 500,000 and have reported more than 2,000 AIDS cases in the most recent five calendar years.

"Since the CARE Act passed in 1990, individuals and families nationwide have obtained needed primary care and related services through this federal grant program," said Claude Earl Fox, M.D., M.P.H., administrator of HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the CARE Act through its HIV/AIDS Bureau. "These funds help us to continue providing access to HIV/AIDS care for those in need and ensure that HIV/AIDS providers receive the training they need to deliver the most appropriate and effective health care."

Other HRSA-administered CARE Act programs fund HIV/AIDS care, services and medications in states and eligible U.S. territories (Title II); provide support to public and nonprofit organizations for outpatient early intervention services and planning grants (Title III); fund special programs for improving access to care for women, youth, adolescents and families (Title IV); demonstrate and evaluate innovative models of care for historically underserved populations (Special Projects of National Significance Program); oversee a regional network for educating and training AIDS care providers (AIDS Education and Training Centers Program); and provide reimbursement for uncompensated costs in treating dental patients with HIV (HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program).

Since the CARE Act was first funded in FY 1991, nearly $6.4 billion has been appropriated, including $2.9 billion in Title I funds. Click here -- www.hhs.gov/news/press/2000pres/20000121.pdf -- for a list of CARE Act FY 2000 Title I and minority initiative awards.

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