Every Democratic Nominee’s Plan for 2020 to End the HIV / AIDS Epidemic
Earlier this year, in his address to the country, President Trump called for an end to the HIV epidemic in the United States within ten years. But in a new report, released weeks after Trump’s bold pledge, the number of new HIV infections stalled for the first time between 2013 and 2016 after several years of gradual declines. According to an interview with an NBC News expert , the goal of ending HIV by 2030 is “highly unlikely.”
This week, the results of a poll conducted by AIDS United and members of ACT Now: End AIDS Coalition detailed the plans of several Democratic candidates to end the HIV epidemic. Several candidates confirmed their support for expanding HIV / AIDS research and funding for plans such as the Ryan White Program (which provides access to treatment for those who are uninsured or uninsured) and Housing for People with HIV / AIDS (which provides housing assistance for those who are not insured). living with HIV).
In other cases, some candidates disagree on how to combat drug prices and adopt universal health care for HIV treatment. Below you will find the responses of several survey candidates – those who were eligible to participate in this week’s debate – as well as some of their core values when it comes to raising awareness and ending HIV.
Joe Biden
There was no plan, but in 2008 he co-sponsored a $ 48 billion bill to fight HIV / AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.
Corey Booker
- Will work with Congress to “implement and enact comprehensive sex education legislation.”
- Will “work to expand federal protection against discrimination based on HIV status and fight to provide the resources needed to succeed in our society.”
- Supports the Prescription Drug Price Reduction Act, which forces pharmaceutical companies to set prices in line with prices set in other countries.
Pete Buttigieg
- Will revive the Office of National AIDS Policy, which is working to reduce and spread awareness of the HIV / AIDS epidemic in the United States (since January 2017, President Trump has been unable to appoint a new director of ONAP after its previous director, Amy Lansky, left in the same a few more employees have resigned.)
- Its ONAP strategy will restore civil rights protections for people with HIV in healthcare settings, “remove stigma” for those who face challenges in accessing HIV prevention and general care, and provide access to PrEP for those identified “in the group risk ”by ensuring that all costs are covered by insurance plans. (Alternatively, if that fails, his administration will “take” the pharmaceutical companies’ patents and cut prices.)
- Does not support universal health care (instead, “strengthens” the Affordable Care Act).
Julian Castro
No plan presented, but supports the availability of HIV and PrEP prevention methods, “improved” sex education, increased access to testing, and “ending” HIV stigma.
Kamala Harris
- Reduce the price of PrEP “by licensing a patent to competitors or using government authority under other intellectual property laws to increase the availability of PrEP”; the PrEP Access and Insurance Act was also recently passed to provide access to PrEP, requiring public and private insurance companies to cover related costs.
- Will “hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for price gouging” and “set price caps on prescription drugs to match countries like Canada and Germany.”
Amy Klobuchar
- No plan submitted, but as Minnesota Senator supported increased funding for Housing for People with HIV / AIDS.
Beto O’Rourke
- Reduce drug costs by “importing drugs from Europe and Canada,” “changing rules to bring generic drugs to market more quickly,” and “fighting” drug manufacturers involved in price gouging.
- “Recognizes the discrimination faced by older Americans” and ensures that older Americans living with HIV are not forced to hide their status or sexual orientation “for fear of losing access to nursing homes.”
- Supports a moderate iteration of universal health care through Medicare for America , which will allow people to maintain their employer-based coverage.
Bernie Sanders
- “We must set a national goal of ending the US HIV epidemic by 2025 so that HIV is no longer a public health threat to any US community and so that people with HIV can live long, healthy lives.”
- Creates an HIV / AIDS Task Force of people living with HIV / AIDS to “make recommendations” to end the HIV epidemic.
- Creates a “multi-billion dollar prize pool” for HIV / AIDS researchers. “Basically, a company offering a truly innovative HIV / AIDS treatment would get a cash prize instead of patent protection; the treatment will then be released into the public domain, allowing generics to quickly enter the market. ”
- End HIV criminalization laws.
Elizabeth Warren
- Expand the Fair Housing Act to prohibit housing discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
- Co-sponsored the REPEAL Act (or the Act to Repeal Existing Policies that Promote and Permit legal discrimination against HIV), which will remove related discriminatory laws.
- Adopted a number of laws on targeted drug prices. These include: The Affordable Drug Manufacturing Act (which will lower the prices of drugs and allow the government to manufacture generic drugs under certain conditions ), the Prescription Cost Limit Act (which will cap the cost of family prescriptions at $ 500 per month), The price of drugs. prescription. The Benefits Act (which will force pharmaceutical companies to set prices in line with the prices of other countries – this was co-authored by Sanders) and the Affordable Medicines Act (ultimately to lower the price of medicines).
Andrew Yang
No plan provided.