WHEREAS, the Department remains committed to providing a full continuum of prevention, intervention and appropriate treatment for HIV infection; and,
WHEREAS, the community based model of care developed in San Francisco is effective in treating and preventing AIDS; and,
WHEREAS, the newest treatment for AIDS has focused on the provision of effective antiviral medications; and,
WHEREAS, the demand for long term care, hospice care and home care has declined over the past year, and is expected to be further reduced as the health of AIDS patients improves with the continued use of AIDS drugs; and,
WHEREAS, the cost of providing drug therapies including protease inhibitors is very high, and has increased the cost to provide AIDS care to San Francisco patients; and,
WHEREAS, the State of California provides reimbursement for drug therapy for unsponsored and indigent AIDS patients, but the total funding allocated by the State is insufficient to meet the need for such care; and,
WHEREAS, the Department staff is working with members of the Legislature and staff from the State Office on AIDS to secure sufficient reimbursement for the drugs administered to San Francisco patients; and,
WHEREAS, the Federally funded Ryan White CARE grant has been reduced by $4 million in the current year, and the CARE Council has made reductions to balance the CARE budget; and,
WHEREAS, the Department believes that some services reduced from the CARE budget should be maintained in the coming year, and has requested that a portion of this reduction be backfilled with General Funds; and,
WHEREAS, the Department has also requested an increase in the total funding allocated for AIDS care in its budget submission to fund the increased cost of drug therapies, viral load testing, and increased substance abuse services; and,
WHEREAS, the Health Commission is supportive of reallocation of AIDS funds from low priority to high priority services, and concurs that selective services reduced in the CARE grant be restored; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the Health Commission approves the reallocation and increased funding request for AIDS services in the FY 1997-98 budget; and, be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Health Commission urges the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors to approve the additional requests for funds.
I hereby certify that the foregoing resolution was adopted by the Health Commission at its meeting of Tuesday, February 18 , 1997.
Sandy Ouye Mori Executive Secretary to the Health Commission