Date: Monday, March 25, 1996
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: HCFA Mark Roebuck,HRSA,(301)443-3376

SUPPLEMENTAL GRANTS AWARDED FOR HIV/AIDS SERVICES

The Department of Health and Human Services is awarding $43.8 million in supplemental funding to 41 eligible metropolitan areas to continue providing emergency medical and support care for low-income and un-/underinsured people living with HIV disease and AIDS.

Funded under Title I of the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 1990, these awards reflect only partial-year funding because Congress has not yet completed action on the FY 1996 budget for the Department of Health and Human Services.

"It is imperative that Congress approve full-year funding for the Ryan White program," said HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala.

Funding through the Ryan White Act has enabled over 300,000 individuals living with HIV and AIDS to receive health and supportive services. The Clinton Administration's FY 1997 request of $807 million for all Ryan White activities represents a 4 percent increase over the FY 1996 level.

This month, President Clinton proposed a $52 million increase targeted to expand access to promising new AIDS/HIV drugs through Title II of the Ryan White program. With the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, the Clinton Administration is helping states make protease inhibitors, the long-anticipated new line of AIDS drugs, available to individuals as soon as they are approved by the FDA.

These supplemental grants, mailed to grantees late last week, are awarded to cities originally receiving Title I funds in 1991 through 1995. As stipulated in the Ryan White Act, eligibility for Title I grants is determined by reports of 2,000 or more cumulative cases of AIDS or on a per capita AIDS incidence rate of at least 25 cases per 100,000 population, as of March 31 of the year preceding the original award.

Since FY 1991, the first year of Ryan White funding, more than $1.188 billion has been awarded in formula and supplemental funds under Title I.

The supplemental grant awards are listed below:

Note: Eight of the above-listed cities (noted by *) received a portion of this funding in a late February grant award.