Ryan White Act Extended

Ryan White Care Act lives on.  Photo Credit: Wildartlivie

The Ryan White Act has been extended. It was passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday by a vote of 408 to 9. After already being passed by the Senate the bill now goes to President Obama to sign into law.  The Ryan White Care Act is an act that was named after a brave young resident of Kokomo, Indiana.  Ryan White was a hemophiliac who received AIDS tainted blood during a routine transfusion in 1971 when he was just six days old.  He was diagnosed in 1984 during a partial-lung removal procedure after struggling with pneumonia.  He was expelled from school even though the doctors said that he posed no threat to other students.  His fight became a legendary battle that broke down stereotypes that suggested that AIDS was a homosexual male disease.  Ryan and his mother Jeanne became advocates for HIV treatment.  They fought the school system and won. He and his family moved from Kokomo to Cicero, Indiana after threats of violence and constant taunting depressed his life.  In the meantime, he became a national spokesperson for AIDS winning many celebrity allies such as Elton John, Phil Donohue, Kareem Abdul-Jabar, and the late Michael Jackson.  Ryan died on March 29, 1990, months before his high school prom, from a respiratory infection.  But his name lived on though the Ryan White Foundation, a national non-profit organization founded by his mother to assist families who are dealing with AIDS uninsured or under insured. After some careful but strategic planning by senators such as the late Senator Ted Kennedy, The Ryan White Care Act was signed into law in August of the same year.

It was renewed in 1996, 2000,and 2006. It expired on September 30th of this year.  The renewal of this act not only extends the funding but also the protection. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says in an issued statement "Each year, this legislation ensures access to lifesaving medical services, including pharmaceuticals, for more than 500,000 clients. Reauthorizing the Ryan White Act will continue to increase access to primary care and medication by providing additional resources and facilitating the transition to HIV reporting."  The renewal does come with controversy.  Speaker Pelosi was unable to the provision to permanently protect San Francisco's federal HIV/AIDS funding.  "Many of us were disappointed when the Bush Administration implemented the 2006 reauthorization in a way that caused severe cuts to several jurisdictions, including the San Francisco Eligible Metropolitan Area. However, I remain committed to responding to these needs through the appropriations process, as we have done each year since the Bush Administration first attempted to impose these destabilizing cuts."  Locally, non profit organizations are thrilled to know that the act will continue to provide funding. Ravinia Hayes-Cozier,  Director of Government Relations and Public Policy for National Minority AIDS Council said " The House and Senate did more than prevent an act from sun-setting.  They ensured that 530,00 people living with HIV/AIDS who access Ryan White Funded treatment and care continue to receive the services they need to survive." Victory can come in political packages.