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MAP Advocate
HIV Advocacy Update
March 7, 2005
Vol. 11. No. 5
Take Action! Sign-up for AIDS Action
Day
Join the political circus at the State Capitol for AIDS Action Day on
April 12 and take on a daring feat. HIV advocates are calling upon lawmakers
to "fix ADAP" and renew Minnesota's commitment to providing health care
for all. Living with HIV? Providing HIV health care or social services? Just
plain disgusted by the way health care is being cut for low income Minnesotans? Then
you need to be part of the show. We provide you with the info you need
including a soon-to-be-released MAP DVD on the HIV health care crisis
in Minnesota. We also schedule your meetings with legislators. All you
need to do is register today, and show up at 10 a.m. in the Great Hall
at the State Capitol on April 12. Click
here to register or contact MAP Public Policy at 612-373-9162 or
800-243-7321. [Note: Most meetings with legislators will be scheduled
between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. But ultimately meeting times depend upon legislator
availability.]
MAP Bill Proposes Full Funding for State HIV
Drug and Insurance Assistance Program
MAP is coordinating introduction of legislation this week that will ensure
ongoing access to HIV treatment without cost shares for low-income persons
living with HIV. The bill will also propose funding the state's HIV insurance
and drug assistance program at $12 million over the next two years. Lead
authors will be Sen. John Hottinger [DFL St. Peter] and Rep. Paul Thissen
[DFL Minneapolis]. Encouraging lawmakers to support the bill in order
to provide uninterrupted access to HIV treatment will be the focus for
MAP's AIDS Action Day on April 12. Click
here to read a draft copy of the bill .
State Claims Funding is in Place to Keep ADAP Going
Minnesota Department of Human Services officials report that no additional funding is needed to maintain current levels of participation in the HH Program. Current funding is deemed to be adequate because individuals whose Medicare supplemental insurance policies are paid by the state will be required to leave the HH program and seek drug coverage effective January 1, 2006 through a prescription drug plan offered through the new, federal Medicare program. The problem is there is no guarantee the federal plan will offer the HIV-related drugs an individual needs, and that in addition to the co-pay for any HH program benefits, individuals will have to pay approximately $2,600 to participate in the federal Medicare program. MAP's proposals to reform the HH program is a better deal.
Comprehensive Sexual Health Education Bills Introduced;
Watch for Hearings
The bills have all been introduced. Proposals to establishe "comp sex
ed" as the standard for HIV, STD and pregnancy prevention education in
Minnesota schools are in play this legislative session. They have bipartisan
support from urban, suburban and rural legislators, and from lawmakers
with different views on the often contentious abortion issue. SF878 and
SF1262 establish comp sex ed as the state's sexual health curriculum standard. The
bills were introduced by Sen. Sandy Pappas [DFL St. Paul] and Sen. Bob
Kierlin [R Winona]. The companion to this bill in the House is HF1301
introduced by Rep. Neva Walker [DFL Minneapolis] with the bipartisan backing
of 34 other House members. SF1261 and HF1300 were introduced by Sen. Paul
Koering [R Brainerd] and Rep. Mindy Greiling [DFL Roseville] They propose
to re-establish regional training sites to help school districts implement
the comp sex ed standards. Also addressing comp sex ed and the regional
training sites are SF581 and HF646 introduced by Sen. John Marty [DFL
Roseville] and Rep. Katy Sieben [DFL Newport]. Click
here to read the bills .
MAP/Advocates for Youth MN-TAP Partnerships Get
Going
MAP is working with youth leaders from Saint Paul's West Side, Brooklyn
Center, District 202, Mounds View and Edina to help them educate peers
about their right to comprehensive sexual health education and sexual
health services. The new service is called MN-TAP Minnesota Teens for
AIDS Prevention and is being implemented in partnership with Advocates
for Youth . MN-TAP teens will join with other youth peer educator
and advocacy groups to promote sexual health and awareness about comp
sex ed, minors consent and other laws affecting teen health.
Minors Consent Debate Starts Taking Shape at
the Capitol; Listen to it on MPR
The results of a new state survey on parental attitudes about Minnesota's
minors consent law was the topic of discussion on MPR's Midmorning program
on March 7. The University of Minnesota study showed that while 55 percent
of Minnesota's parents of teens think requiring parental notification
to provide services to teens is a good idea, most also thought confidential
access was a good idea, and was really needed in certain circumstances. Of
particular note, 96 percent thought that eliminating access to confidential
services would have negative results since sexual activity would continue
but teens would do less to reduce risk for STDs, unplanned pregnancies
or other health risks. HF226/HF838 and SF328, while dealing with reporting
on abortions obtained by minors, are just waiting for amendments to gut
Minnesota's minors consent law. Want to know what you can do to protect
the health of Minnesota's teens? Take
the time to listen to the MPR Midmorning discussion .
Administration's Practice of Replacing Science
with Ideology Continues
A February 28 Wall Street Journal article says it all: "The Bush Administration
is barring private American AIDS organizations from winning federal grants
to provide health services overseas unless they pledge their opposition
to prostitution, as part of a broader Republican effort in recent weeks
to apply conservative values to foreign-assistance programs. The White
House move comes as Republican lawmakers have been pressing the administration
to cut off funds to private organizations that fail to accept the president's
social agenda on such issues as sexual abstinence, drug abuse and needle
exchange." What does this mean? The federal government appears to be
moving down the road of pressuring all AIDS services organizations to
use both their public and private dollars for abstinence-only programs
as a condition for receiving public health prevention dollars. If the
effort succeeds, it is expected AIDS groups operating domestically or
globally that base their services on prevention models proven by research
to work will need to set aside the science and adopt the administration's
ideology if they are going to continue getting any public funding.
President's Budget Does Not Add Up to a Commitment
to Fight AIDS
Flat funding for health care through the Ryan White CARE Act. Flat funding
for domestic HIV prevention. Flat funding for HIV research. Reduced funding
for the Minority AIDS Initiative. Reduced funding for HIV housing through
HOPWA. The President's budget fails to live up to the realities that
more people are living with HIV and need health and social services and
the number of new infections continues at a rate of 40,000 per year. It's
about priorities: sustaining unaffordable tax cuts for the wealthiest
and funding wars, versus addressing concerns such as health care access
for all and good public health. Are these your priorities? Have you told
Minnesota's members of Congress what you think should be in the federal
budget. Click here
to contact them now .
U.S. Congress Considering Proposal to Cut Health
Care for Low Income PWAs
The largest single source of financing to provide health care for low
income Americans living with HIV is Medicaid. According to The Access
Project, "President Bush's proposed FY 2005-06 federal budget includes
$60 billion in Medicaid cuts over the next ten years, including billions
in direct cuts to case management programs that serve thousands of Americans
living with AIDS and HIV. Cuts this big will translate straight into severe
benefit and eligibility cuts at the state level. States are already cutting
benefits and services to poor and disabled Americans - they'll make even
more severe cuts to individual beneficiaries and front-line service providers
if the Bush Medicaid cuts are approved by Congress. And cuts this big
could mean the end of Medicaid as we know it - Congress could impose caps
that would dismantle the entitlement structure that protects consumers
and ensures comprehensive and needed care is provided." Click
here to read more .
Under the Dome: 100 Meetings, HIV & Kissing
& Paper Cuts, and Great Americans
MAP's lobbyists Elizabeth Dickinson, Warren Ortland and Peg Larsen have
met with over 100 legislators since January. What happens when we have
legislators in our clutches? Well, we talk about MAP's 2005
Legislative Action Agenda . We answer questions, too. Oh, the questions!
"Can you get AIDS from kissing?" [That was asked four times!] "What about
paper cuts in the workplace?" Or we get educated: "The Governor's budget
makes a provision for health care if you just spend down to your income
to $7,000 a year." [And exactly who can live on that?] And our personal
favorite, "You people are doing important work, you're great Americans!"
Where Will You Be on May 15?
Where do 10,000 Minnesotan's gather each year to show their support for
the fight against AIDS and their power? At the Minnesota AIDS Walk. Mark
your calendar for May 15 the third Sunday in May. But, register to raise
funds for this year's Walk right now. Click
here to get all of the details and set-up your own on-line campaign to
collect pledges . Remember, these are the dollars that make it possible
to for MAP lead the fight for smart and effective policies at the State
Capitol. No public money is used for advocacy and we won't accept funds
from the pharmaceutical industry for any of our public policy work. We
need you to support MAP public policy work, and the AIDS Walk is a great
way to do it.
MAP Advocate is published by the Minnesota AIDS Project every two weeks while the Minnesota Legislature is in session, and monthly during the rest of the year. It is available through the MAP Web site and through email list service. If you wish to order the MAP Advocate, visit our Join the Action Network page, or contact MAP Public Policy by phone or email.
MAP Public Policy
Minnesota AIDS Project
1400 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
612-341-2060
800-373-2437
public.policy@mnaidsproject.org
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Friday, March 30, 2007
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