You know, there are always "crepe hangers"* who love to traffic in gloom and doom.  I am not sure what their source of gratification may be, but the contribution of their comments is without positive value.

 

The first Ryan White Care Act was passed in 1990.  The current version of the Act passed in 2006 is effective through February 2010.  So the program and its funding are nearing the two-decade mark.  Efforts at passing a new bll are currently underway.  Funding levels have fluctuated very little over the years.  However, the need for services has increased as both the number of new infections and the number of people living with HIV/AIDS has increased (along with the average life span of those infected and in constant treatment).

 

However, Ryan White funds are not the largest or even the primary source of care for those with HIV/AIDS.  Ryan White is the "payor of last resort" designed to "close the gap" after all other primary sources have been exhausted.  Private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Veterans Administration health care, state and local health care programs and other sources all pay for and provide HIV/ADS care services that are accessed before Ryan White comes into play.

 

The overall need for better, more comprehensive health care for all sorts of needs in the United States is great and demands immediate action . . . for the sake of everyone including but not limited to those living with HIV/AIDS. 

 

NOTE:  The term "crepe hanger" is one not known to everyone these days.  I learned it from my parents and grandparents.  "Crepe" is a type of fabric.  Black crepe used to be draped or swagged over doorways and in other places as a sign of mourning after the death of a family member or a public figure.  Hence, "crepe hangers" were harbingers of "doom and gloom".