Living on the Edge

Reaching Them Where They Are: A Guide for Using Online and Social Media to Conduct Sexual Health Outreach with Youth.

The National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD) is pleased to release Reaching Them Where They Are: A Guide for Using Online and Social Media to Conduct Sexual Health Outreach with Youth. With over 90 percent of youth and young adults, from every racial, ethnic and socio-economic background, utilizing the internet and social media as a means of communication and a health information resource, it is important that health providers actively engage them with sexual health and prevention information where they are. This guide provides key strategies for developing simple, low-cost and powerful interventions that use online and social media to reach LGBTQ youth with sexual health and HIV/AIDS prevention messages. The Living Affected Corporation has been at the forefront of implementing outreach message via social media and other associated platforms. Its has been the organizations long withstanding premise that new media will be vital in the sturggle to "message" to targeted populations especially those hard hit by HIV and AIDS. The guide is available from The Living Affected Corporation by contacting us at www.lacorponline.org or by contacting www.nastad.org

Countdown to the Supreme Court ACA Decision
The Supreme Court is nearing issuing a decision on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) that is likely to create a political firestorm (no matter what the ruling is) and thrust health care issues back onto the nation’s political agenda in the midst of a Presidential election year.  HIV advocates are considering potential responses to make sure that the long standing needs of people living with HIV are met no matter what system emerges from the decision.

There are several potential outcomes that seem likely to observers.  At least one likely outcome, despite tough questioning from the court, is that the ACA is upheld and remains in force.  To reach this outcome, the court would likely rely in part on its line of commerce clause cases allowing Congress to regulate interstate affairs.  This is the outcome that AIDS United would prefer as it would keep the Medicaid expansion intact and help many more people to move into insurance exchanges, potentially increasing the access of people living with HIV to treatment and care and perhaps helping people to gain access to increased testing.

A second outcome that seems very possible is that the Supreme Court strikes down the individual mandate portion of the law, but leaves the rest of the law in place.  This is a potentially interesting situation since patient protections such as an end to pre-existing condition qualifications and other limitations on health care would remain.  However, some healthy individuals who would help insurance companies and exchanges to maintain their solvency could opt out of the system.  Consequently this potentially sets up a system in which many insurers would be driven from the system or would seek ways to raise prices, thereby driving consumers out of the system.  However, the Medicaid expansion beginning in 2014 would remain intact.

It is possible that the Medicaid expansion itself could also be struck down.  This seems an unlikely outcome.  No court ruling has struck down a part of Medicaid since it was established more than 70 years ago.

Finally the court could strike down the entire law, leading to the loss of access to care and ending some of the changes that have already been enacted.  This last outcome would likely lead to confusion in the current markets and a rush back to maintaining the pre-ACA status quo.  AIDS United strongly opposes this outcome.

For more information on the Supreme Court arguments, please click here. Videos on Supreme Court arguments begin with, “March 16: Part 1: The Affordable Care Act in the Supreme Court.”

That the ruling will be controversial is clear from remarks published June 6th in Roll Call in which House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) stated that, unless the court ruled to strike down the entire law, the House would put forward legislation to repeal the entire bill.  The Republicans have stated that they would replace the ACA with another plan but have not yet put an actual replacement plan into legislative form.  Democrats are likely to rise in defense of the bill if it is struck down or to try to propose their own solutions if parts are ruled unconstitutional.  AIDS United continues to monitor the situation in anticipation of the Court’s ruling.




Enough is Enough: No More Cuts to Non-Defense Spending
The “fiscal cliff” continued to be a key topic of discussion this week in the media, in Congress and among policy wonks and advocates.  As we noted in last week’s Update, the fiscal cliff refers to the potential year-end fiscal and economic crisis that could result from the expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts, the payroll tax “holiday,” extended unemployment insurance benefits, the Medicare “doc fix” and the automatic spending cuts mandated under the Budget Control Act (BCA). These cuts will take effect in the New Year if Congress does not act on an alternative proposal to reduce the long-term deficit.

The desire to avoid the automatic spending cuts (sequestration) is a particular focus, especially among Members of Congress.  Much of that discussion is on the need to avoid the cuts to defense spending.  Little attention has been given to the cuts that would be made to non-defense discretionary (NDD) spending, which includes spending on health care and all HIV/AIDS programs, domestic and global.  To reverse the silence and lack of attention to NDD spending cuts, the Coalition for Health Funding has organized a “coalition of coalitions,” called the “NDD Summit.” An NDD town hall meeting was held in Washington, DC, on Monday that was attended by several hundred people.  An essential message coming from the meeting is that NDD spending already has been cut substantially under the provisions of the BCA and no further NDD cuts should be included in any proposal to avoid sequestration.

A community sign-on letter has been developed and is being circulated.  AIDS United has signed on to the letter and we encourage other organizations, national, regional and local, to sign on also.  Click here to read the letter and click here to sign on.

Click here to read an analysis by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on the fiscal cliff and the reality of its implications if Congress cannot reach an agreement by January 1, 2013.



Announcements
 

2012 HIV/AIDS Law & Practice Conference

The American Bar Association (ABA) AIDS Coordinating Committee will convene its sixth biannual HIV/AIDS Law and Practice Conference on July 20-21, 2012, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, immediately preceding the XIX International AIDS Conference in DC.  Conference topics and participants will be multi-disciplinary and reflect both domestic and international issues in HIV/AIDS-related law, policy and practice.

Click here to register for the conference!

XIX International AIDS Conference - Deadline for Registration and Late Breakers Abstract Submissions
The XIX International AIDS Conference, to be held July 22-27 in Washington DC, will host an expected 200 countries, 2,000 journalists, and 25,000 participants to address this year's theme of "Turning the Tide Together." The conference is now open for late breakers registration.

Find out more information about registration.

Find other important deadlines.

July 24th HIV Mobilization Planned at International AIDS Conference
Large scale actions have traditionally taken place at each International AIDS Conference to draw public and media attention to HIV prevention, treatment and research. As the time for the International AIDS Conference in Washington D.C. approaches, some local and national HIV groups are continuing this tradition by calling for a community mobilization around human rights and economic justice on July 24th.

More information about the mobilization can be found here.

Ryan White 2012 Grantee Meeting and 15th Annual Clinical Conference
This year’s Ryan White Program Meeting and 15th Annual Clinical Conference will take place November 27-29 in Washington, DC, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The conference theme is “Navigating a New Era in CARE,” and will examine changes in the health care system and explore how changes impact those living with HIV. Over 2,500 participants are expected to attend, including direct care providers, members of planning councils, board members, federal staff, and more.

Important Deadlines for the conference:

Grantee Meeting Registration – September 24, 2012, 12:00 AM ET
Clinical Conference Registration – September 24, 2012
Washington Marriott Wardman Park Discounted Room Rate – October 24, 2012
For more information on the conference, abstracts, registration, and hotels, click here.

Save the Date: 2012 National HIV and Viral Hepatitis Summit
The 2012 National HIV and Viral Hepatitis Summit will take place in Washington D.C. from November 26-28. The Summit will feature public health leaders addressing the importance of improving HIV and viral hepatitis testing, prevention, and linkage to care. The summit will identify the best strategies for the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS) and the Health and Human Services (HHS) Action Plan for Prevention, Care and Treatment of Viral Hepatitis.

Click here to learn more and keep up-to-date as more details become available.

AIDS United Hiring Regional Field Organizer

AIDS United seeks a Regional Field Organizer to work with its grantees, partners, and allies to implement a coordinated national organizing strategy. The Regional Field Organizer will help mobilize grassroots state and federal HIV/AIDS-related advocacy to achieve the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy. The Regional Field Organizer will be located in Texas.

Learn more about the Regional Field Organizer position.