Ryan White Programs - for those with no insurance
The Federal Ryan White Program was enacted in 1990 to improve the quality and availability of care for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured individuals and families affected by HIV disease-those hit hardest by the epidemic. The program is named after Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose courageous struggle with HIV/AIDS and against AIDS-related discrimination helped educate the nation. Reauthorized three times since its inception-in 1996, 2000, and 2006-the Ryan White Program delivers HIV/AIDS care to over 500,000 people each year.
Like many health problems, HIV disease disproportionately strikes people in poverty, racial/ethnic populations, and others who are underserved by healthcare and prevention systems. HIV often leads to poverty due to costly healthcare or an inability to work that is often accompanied by a loss of employer-related health insurance. Ryan White-funded programs are the "payer of last resort." They fill gaps in care not covered by other resources. Ryan White clients include people with no other source of healthcare and those with Medicaid or private insurance whose care needs are not being met.
Ryan White services are intended to reduce the use of more costly inpatient care, increase access to care for underserved populations, and improve the quality of life for those affected by the epidemic. The Ryan White Program works toward these goals by funding local and State programs that provide primary medical care and support services; healthcare provider training; and technical assistance to help funded programs address implementation and emerging HIV care issues.
The Ryan White Program provides for significant local and State control of HIV/AIDS healthcare planning and service delivery. This has led to many innovative and practical