In This Issue

Earlier this year two BTAN members vacationed together in Aruba. While there, they saw an opportunity to learn more about the epidemic and connect with people to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Tomika Anderson reports.

Open enrollment for the health insurance marketplace has begun. Now more than ever, it's essential that PLWHA to obtain health insurance. Early data already suggest that PLWHA who have Obamacare are more successful in accessing the healthcare they need than those who don't. Our friends at the Affordable Care Enrollment Technical Assistance Center lay out everything we need to know to access the care we need.

Over the past couple of years, we've become increasingly aware of the HIV care continuum in the United States; now we're beginning to look at the hepatitis continuum. Already we know that of the approximately 3.5 million Americans with hepatitis C, only 50 percent are aware of their infection and only nine percent have been cured. How can we improve those numbers? Read on to learn more.

Both the National Institutes of Health and Health and Human Services are requesting public comment on their plans to improve the health and wellbeing of members of the LGBT community. The public comment period ends on November 13th. To participate visit HealthyPeople.gov.

Finally, the spirit of the Black Lives Matter movement continues to ripple across American society. Colorlines reports on a group of St. Louis-based activists who have started a political action committee bearing that name.

Yours in the struggle,

Phill