Insurance companies won’t take her. Her self-esteem has dwindled. Worst of all, she has to deal with the side effects of HIV every day.
Tami Haught has been HIV-positive for 16 years, and she is covered by a federally funded HIV/AIDS program that expires today.
“I’m very concerned because my life depends on the reauthorization of the Ryan White Act,” she said.
But given the reauthorization record of the act — formally known as the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act — Haught will likely still be covered if Congress OKs the bill.
Officials have approved the legislation three times since enacting the bill in 1990. Former President George W. Bush signed the bill in 2006, continuing its goal to provide financial and medical assistance to 500,000 Americans living with HIV or AIDS.
Without this financial assistance, patients such as Haught wouldn’t be able to afford monthly medication costs of $1,719. She takes three different types of medication for HIV and 16 for side-effects every day.
The average monthly cost for HIV- or AIDS-related medication ranges from $1,200 to $1,600 a month, said Kris Davis, an advanced nurse practitioner at the UI Hospitals and Clinics’ virology clinic.
Nearly 2,000 Iowans are living with HIV or AIDS.
The Ryan White Act includes four main parts: A, B, C and D. Iowa receives funding in Part B, which provides money for the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program, and Part C, which provides resources for direct-care clinics.
Holly Hanson, Ryan White Part B program manager, said inadequate funding has forced the assistance program under Part B to close to new enrollees. If the bill is reauthorized, enough funds may be generated to accept new applicants.
Haught knows the frustration and pain of being denied lifesaving medication. In 2005, she was one of 14 people put on a waiting list. More than 100 people are waiting for assistance.
“It’s just unacceptable that here in America people don’t have access to these medications,” Haught said.
The UIHC has a Part C virology clinic, which provided medical services to 457 patients last year.
The program helps cover uninsured patients who are HIV positive or have AIDS. Davis said the clinic receives roughly $575,000 a year for medical services.
Nationwide, the Ryan White Act dispersed roughly $2 billion in funding over the past three years. In 2007, Iowa received nearly $4.5 million in assistance for medication, education, and support services.
The Ryan White Act is a “payer of last resort” program. Funds need to be exhausted from all other coverage resources before patients become eligible for Ryan White funds.
“Without medication, [patients] would get sick and end up in the hospital,” Davis said.
For now, Haught will continue traveling across Iowa to educate on HIV/AIDS.
She and her son recently traveled to Washington, D.C., to talk about the Ryan White Act. She also travels to schools, colleges, and churches to help educate people about the deadly disease.
