Political Quotes

“my home State of Florida ranks third in people reporting full-blown AIDS and, in my district of Miami, fourth in the top 10 cities. The lifetime medical cost of one AIDS case is estimated at $69,000, which means that uninsured or underinsured patients would have little or no recourse for affording treatment if it were not for the Ryan White Care Act. These programs have been a critical source of care and services for people living and dealing with HIV/AIDS. The Ryan White Care Act provides funding to support a range of HIV care and services, from HIV testing and counseling to prescription drugs and home hospice care. It is founded on a strong partnership between the Federal Government, States and local communities, and it emphasizes less costly outpatient and primary care to prevent expensive emergency room visits and hospitalizations. The Ryan White Care Act serves approximately 500,000 individuals with HIV and AIDS every year. The reauthorization of this act last October was a great victory for the AIDS community. It was a victory for America's 400,000 plus families who will lose a loved one this year to AIDS. On their behalf, we ask our colleagues to support crucial funding for the Ryan White Care Act this year.”