News 2012
In This Issue
I don't know if it is a fiscal cliff or a fiscal curb or a fiscal hill. But it is a little disheartening that after a long election season that culminated in an election in which we the people were very clear that we supported a balanced approach to solving our economic problems -- one that included higher tax rates for the wealthiest Americans and prudent cuts in spending without eviscerating critical health services for the middle class. Last week house speaker Boehner responded to a proposal from the White House with a proposal that cut $600 billion from health expenditures but does not raise tax rates on the wealthiest Americans.
Fighting HIV/AIDS Stigma the Red Shoe Way
For the first time in recent history, there’s actually good news to report on the global HIV/AIDS pandemic. According to the UNAIDS, World AIDS Day 2012 report, 25 countries have experienced a 50 percent drop in new infections since 2001. Among the reductions taking place in the last two years, half have been among newborns, an indication that mother-to-child transmission can end with the right access to treatment.
How Illinois HIV Criminalization Law Has Changed
In my role as director of government relations for the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC), I have to come to terms with the reality that the legislative process often means having to make ugly compromises.
Analysis: Health Exchanges And The Litigation Landscape
If you think that the Affordable Care Act has surmounted all of the major legal attacks its opponents could come up with, think again. Critics of the federal health law have only begun to fight, although most of their battles are decidedly uphill.
Read more: Analysis: Health Exchanges And The Litigation Landscape
World AIDS Day 2012
This week, as we gathered in the White House with key scientists, policymakers, and community stakeholders to commemorate World AIDS Day, I was so proud to help highlight the progress we’ve made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. Last year marked the anniversary of the third decade of the HIV epidemic, and new HIV infections are decreasing worldwide. People diagnosed with HIV can now expect to live a normal lifespan with the help of highly effective medications– a dramatic shift from the early days of the epidemic.