HIV POLICY UPDATE

October 30, 2024

Important Policy Messages from Encuentro 2024 

As a part of our observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month, the Academy had the privilege of joining Latinos in the South and the Latino Commission on AIDS in their fifth convening of Encuentro in Charlotte, NC, bringing together advocates and community-based organizations interested in Latinx and immigrant communities most impacted by the HIV epidemic.

At Encuentro 2024, Guillermo Chacón presented a Federal Health Policy Agenda 2024-2028 designed to improve health outcomes for Hispanic/Latinx communities and ensure Hispanic/Latinx participation and inclusion in efforts to eradicate health disparities.

These recommendations include:

  • Technical assistance and capacity building is needed to increase the availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate services (CLAS) for Hispanics/Latinxs.
  • Puerto Rico and other U.S. Territories must receive equitable resource allocation to end the HIV epidemic, including targeted public health funding to improve local health infrastructure and parity in Medicaid funding.

William Ramirez of the Southern AIDS Coalition presented on the potential policy fallout from next week’s presidential election with the intention of equipping attendees with the tools and knowledge to counter harmful policies affecting Latinx and immigrant communities. Among the many threats on the horizon after this election are:

  • Civil rights reversals
  • Rollback of LGBTQ protections
  • Elimination of DEI initiatives
  • Redefinition of gender
  • Threats to health care access
  • Reduced HIV funding for prevention and treatment
  • Limiting access to affirming care and reproductive health care
  • Threats to immigration and community stability
  • Stricter immigration laws and broader deportable offenses
  • Barriers to legal migration
  • Reduced access to public services and benefits

The conference ended with a clarion call for greater collaboration among federal agencies, multi-service organizations and diverse Hispanic/Latinx community leaders to address the needs of heterogeneous and geographically diverse Hispanic/Latinx constituencies across the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

ACADEMY HAPPENINGS

Meeting with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services      

Please join the Academy in a conversation with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services around Open Enrollment and the Inflation Reduction Act. This meeting will take place this Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET. You can join in using this link: https://cms.zoomgov.com/j/1616991309?pwd=GfXKnZUYDXWjMBhakC7ncQd1mbuhUT.1

Meeting ID: 161 699 1309
Password: 750601

HEALTH POLICY HAPPENINGS

Advocacy Toolkit

PrEP4All has compiled a #SaveHIVFunding Town Hall Toolkit with printable posters to make sure advocacy against the proposed cuts to HIV funding are elevated this historic election cycle. A special thank you to Nick Armstrong from The AIDS Institute, who compiled a background document that influenced the toolkit.

 

Election Resources

AIDS United and the National HIV AIDS Housing Coalition held an Election 2024 Webinar Series earlier this month that covered the different roles in government, provided an overview of the government agencies on the federal and state levels that are important to our communities, and explained how these roles and agencies are affected by elections. You can reference the resource they shared for this year’s election: the AIDS United Presidential Candidate Comparison resource. As well, you can review the webinar – the Roles in Government and the Impact of Elections – on YouTube.

NHAS Comment Period on Strategic Plans – Open Through December 6

The Office of Infectious Disease and HIV/AIDS Policy (OIDP) invites feedback from health care providers; health-related and social services organizations; private-sector entities; researchers and academic institutions; people with HIV and those who experience risk for disease; and other interested constituents on OIDP Strategic Plans. To be assured consideration, comments must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. ET on December 6, 2024. Submissions must be sent electronically via through https://app.smartsheetgov.com/​b/​form/​68aa1bd9c54b42829f99e85cc4ab1e82.

The following are collectively referred to as the Strategic Plans:

  • National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States: 2026-2030 (NHAS)
  • Sexually Transmitted Infections National Strategic Plan for the United States: 2026-2030 (STI Plan)
  • Vaccines National Strategic Plan for the United States: 2026-2030 (Vaccines Plan)
  • Viral Hepatitis National Strategic Plan for the United States 2026-2030 (Viral Hepatitis Plan)

Past Strategic Plans are:

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS AND SIGN-ONS

Family Planning Coalition’s FY25 OMB Budget Request Letter

The Academy signed on to the Family Planning Coalition’s OMB request letter, asking for increases in programs that support sexual and reproductive health in FY2025.

https://www.nationalfamilyplanning.org/file/FY25-OMB-FPC-letter-final.pdf

Sign-On Letter for PrEP Inclusion in the 2026 NBPP

The Academy joined Housing Works, AVAC, PrEP4ALL, AIDS Institute, Global Black Gay Men Connect, ANAC and HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute in demanding greater accountability and market incentives for PrEP access as a part of the proposed 2026 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (NBPP). This draft featured promising language regarding the inclusion of PrEP in the ACA risk adjustment model. Find a copy of the letter here.

This item was also discussed at the 82nd PACHA meeting in August. 82nd Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA) Full Council Meeting | August 29, 2024 | Pt 2

View the latest Policy Update here.

Share
Tweet
Share