The administration’s expansion of short-term, limited duration health plans threatens access to healthcare coverage and services for people with HIV and millions of other Americans with pre-existing conditions who under the Affordable Care Act gained needed protections from discriminatory health insurer practices.
The Department of Health and Human Services declaration that the impending landfall of Hurricane Michael on Florida’s panhandle poses a public health emergency is one of a series of steps that will be critical to addressing the medical needs and infectious disease impacts that accompany catastrophic storms and their aftermaths.
Two exceptional individuals are being honored by HIVMA this week at IDWeek 2018. HIVMA is pleased to recognize the following individuals for excellence in the field of HIV medicine:
HIVMA is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its Board of Directors and to name W. David Hardy, MD, as its new Chair. HIVMA is dedicated to promoting quality HIV care and advocating for policies that ensure a comprehensive and humane response to the global AIDS pandemic.
Showing a more than 100 percent increase in the numbers of infants affected by syphilis during the last five years, unprecedented incidence of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, and the spread of gonorrhea resistant to multiple treatments, the 2017 STD Surveillance Report released by the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control today represents a call for immediate and responsive action.
The administration’s transfer of funds from infectious diseases prevention, care and biomedical research programs to offset the rising costs of the “Unaccompanied Alien Children” program comes as our nation prepares for flu season and confronts unprecedented increases in cases of sexually transmitted diseases, spikes in infections linked to the opioid crisis.
Leaders of research and programmatic responses to HIV globally gathered on Capitol Hill Thursday to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief launch and the flagship program’s achievements, but also to cite urgent needs to strengthen and accelerate the program’s efforts toward ending the pandemic.
As the hurricane season reaches its peak, and Hurricane Florence brings threats of catastrophic weather events and flooding to the eastern United States, preparation and sustained responses will be essential to prevent and respond to public health and infectious disease impacts that pose risks in a storm’s aftermath.
While diagnostic tools and medicines can easily detect and treat sexually transmitted diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in late August a record high of 2.3 million new cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis in the U.S. 2017. The news represented the fourth consecutive year of significant increases in diagnoses and highlight needs for urgent, focused, and evidenced based policies and funding commitments.
As thousands of physicians, including those providing infectious diseases and HIV care, cited damaging impacts of a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposal to slash reimbursements for evaluation and management of complex cases, lawmakers are signing onto a letter asking the agency to delay action on the move.