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|  5/30/2014 | National News  | Bias Claims for Insurers in Coverage of H.I.V. UNITED STATES :: HIV/AIDS
New York Times (05.29.2014) :: By Katie Thomas | | | The New York Times reported that the AIDS Institute and the National Health Law Program filed a complaint this week with the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights against four health insurance companies for allegedly discriminating against people with HIV or AIDS in Florida. The complaint against CoventryOne, Cigna, Humana, and Preferred Medical Plan claims the insurance companies violated the new healthcare law by charging high prices for HIV medications, including generics, as well as restricting access to them.
“This practice has no rational reason other than to drive people with HIV and AIDS away from their plans,” said Wayne Turner, a staff lawyer with the National Health Law Program.
Representatives for the foursome retort that their HIV drug plans meet requirements for coverage and are similar to other medical plans. Cigna said they offer other plans that include more comprehensive coverage; Humana stated that other chronic conditions, such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, are also on a high payment tier.
The complaint asserts that the insurance companies specifically discriminated against HIV as a disease since all drugs, whether they were inexpensive, generic medications or not, were placed on the highest tier cost to the consumer. “Other plans don’t do this for HIV, and that’s why we’re proving that it’s discrimination,” said Carl Schmid, deputy executive director of the AIDS Institute. |  Read Full Article | Share this Article     | | Back to Top  |  | | International News  | Huge Herpes Infections in Women with HIV SOUTH AFRICA :: HIV/AIDS,STDs
health-e Online News Service (South Africa) (05.28.2014) :: By Kerry Cullinan | | | Health-e reported that for the first time, the South African annual antenatal HIV survey tested pregnant women for herpes simplex virus (HSV). According to the 2012 National Antenatal Sentinel HIV and HSV-2 Prevalence Survey, approximately 90 percent of HIV-positive pregnant women are coinfected with HSV. Tests on approximately 19,000 women from Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western and Northern capes showed an average 55.8-percent HSV infection rate.
The results showed an HSV prevalence of approximately 90 percent among HIV-positive women compared with 42.5 percent in HIV-negative women. The HSV infection rate increased according to age so that fewer than one-third (28.4 percent) of 15–19-year-old women were infected, compared with two-thirds (64.6 percent) of 25–29-year olds. Of the 24 women ages 45–49 tested, nine out of 10 had HSV. Health Director General Precious Matsoso commented that for the first time, the health department had assessed other risk exposure factors for HIV by testing women for HSV, which is considered a “significant co-factor for HIV transmission.”
Results also showed that HIV infection remained stable for pregnant women at 29.5 percent as in 2011 and was highest (42.8 percent) among 30–34-year-old-women. One district in KwaZulu-Natal and another in Mpumalanga had the worst HIV rates, and eight of the 10 worst affected districts are in KwaZulu-Natal. However, the disease showed a slight decrease among younger pregnant women ages 15–29, and one district had a dramatic decrease of 6 percent in a single year, from 41 percent to 35 percent. | | Read Full Article | Share this Article | | Back to Top | | | Medical News  | Barriers to HIV Testing in Older Children SOUTH AFRICA :: HIV/AIDS
Medical Xpress (05.27.2014) | | | Medical Xpress reported on a study in which Rashida A. Ferrand of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and colleagues examined the offer and acceptance of provider-initiated HIV testing and counseling (PITC) for 6–15-year olds. PITC entails healthcare workers routinely offering HIV testing and counseling during health visits. The researchers collected and analyzed data from six Harare, Zimbabwe, clinics.
Results show that of 2,831 children eligible, providers offered PITC to approximately three-quarters of them; 1,534 (54.2 percent) accepted. Researchers diagnosed HIV infection in approximately one in 20 (5.3 percent) of the children. One of five of the accompanying guardians also tested positive for HIV infection.
Healthcare workers’ reasons for not offering PITC include their perceived unsuitability of the guardian to give consent on the child’s behalf and lack of availability of staff or testing kits. Healthcare workers were less likely to offer testing to asymptomatic and older children or children with a male or a younger guardian. Also, male guardians were less likely to consent to testing. Healthcare workers expressed concern about abusive treatment if the child tested positive, and were uncertain if testing the guardian was mandatory; whether only a parent, if living, could legally give consent; or if parents were alive but not present, whether asking consent from another adult raised ethical concerns that a child’s positive test might reveal the status of a parent who did not provide consent.
Ferrand concluded that fear of stigma for the child and family seemed to discourage caregivers from testing children, and suggested clearer guidelines, greater staff support and training, and organizational adjustments in clinics would improve healthcare workers’ commitment and properly implement HIV testing and counseling.
The full report, “Barriers to Provider-Initiated Testing and Counselling for Children in a High HIV Prevalence Setting: A Mixed Methods Study,” was published online in the journal PLoS Medicine (2014; doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1001649). | | Read Full Article | Share this Article | | Back to Top | | | | Local and Community News | | News Briefs | | | | |
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