Authors: National Council of Urban Indian Health

Publication Year: 2006

Keywords: RWCA, Ryan White Care Act, Reauthorization, United States Senate, AIDS, HIV

Abstract:

WASHINGTON December 6, 2006

Following months of deliberation, the Ryan White Care Act (RWCA) was reauthorized by the Senate early Wednesday. While final House consideration is still pending, the reauthorizing of the Act has been received by those involved as an important step to modernize the bill.

Concern about the distribution of grants to states and cities has been the major bone of contention in this year's reauthorization process. While major urban areas such as New York and San Francisco have traditionally been awarded the larger grants, the House-passed version of the bill suggested that money should be redirected to states in which there are growing populations of HIV patients. Political compromise on the Act could only be reached when the bill was reduced from a five-year to a three-year reauthorization. This removed the last two years of the renewal and thus the steepest financial losses incurred for the larger states under the proposed House version.