In response to consumer complaints and a class action lawsuit on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients in California, Anthem Blue Cross has agreed to suspend a program that would have barred patients from purchasing certain specialty medications at local pharmacies.  Under the program, patients would have been required to obtain their medications by mail order, threatening their health and privacy according to the lawsuit.

Blue Cross announced the suspension of the mail order program in a letter arriving in consumer’s mailboxes this week.  Download a copy of the letter here.

“The deferment of the mail order program is great news for thousands of Blue Cross customers with HIV/AIDS who were facing risks to their privacy and health,” said Jerry Flanagan, staff attorney for Consumer Watchdog.

The lawsuit, filed last month in San Diego Superior Court by Consumer Watchdog and Whatley Kallas LLC, alleges that the mandatory mail order program illegally targets HIV/AIDS patients. The lawsuit further alleges that due to the complex nature of HIV/AIDS drug regimens, patients rely on their local pharmacists who, working directly with the patients, monitor potentially life-threatening adverse drug interactions, and provide essential advice and counseling that helps HIV/AIDS patients and their families navigate the challenges of living with a chronic and often debilitating condition.  

In addition to the health concerns raised by the change in their continuity of care, HIV/AIDS patients have expressed serious concerns associated with a loss of privacy due to the proposed mail order program. For example, HIV/AIDS specialty medications often need to be delivered in refrigerated containers. Patients who live in apartment buildings or need to have their drugs delivered to their place of employment are concerned that neighbors and co-workers who are not aware of their condition will come to suspect that they are seriously ill.

Under the mail order program announced by Blue Cross in December and slated to go into effect on March 1, 2013, HIV/AIDS patients’ insurance policies would have no longer covered medications purchased at local pharmacies.

The deferment is intended to allow Blue Cross, Consumer Watchdog, and Whatley Kallas LCC time to develop a more consumer friendly program.

“Blue Cross should be commended for listening to the serious and heartfelt concerns of their customers who depend on local pharmacists for their life-saving medications,” said Edith Kallas of Whatley Kallas LLC. “We look forward to working with Blue Cross to ensure its mail order program benefits consumers without unfairly targeting its most vulnerable patients and providing them appropriate opportunities to choose what is best for them.”

Download the lawsuit filed by Consumer Watchdog and Whatley Kallas, LLC here.

Ryan White wasn’t from California, and only visted a few times as far as I can ascertain.  However, he was here in 1990, just before his death, to host a post-Oscars with none other than legendary AIDS heros, the Reagans. Yup, one of his last public appearances came with the man whose legacy on the HIV/AIDS crisis was well summarized by Allen White in the SF Chronicle a few years ago as “Silence Equals Death.”

But while California had a long history of queer activism on AIDS, including the founding of two of the earliest AIDS-focused organizations in 1982, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the AIDS Project Los Angeles. It was Ryan White, a boy-next-door kind of kid that made Congress stop simply averting their eyes to the crisis that was occurring.  And just four months after White’s death, the Ryan White CARE Act was signed.  While White’s story was just one of many reasons for the passage of what has become a monumentally important piece of legislation to the many AIDS patients across the country, his story broke the mold of thinking that AIDS was merely isolated to one community. Incidentally, AVERT, an international HIV and AIDS charity based in the UK, has a great web section on the history and science of the AIDS crisis.

Yet, today, amidst the budget crisis, we are now facing the end of the Ryan White Legacy. In the latest budget proposals, state AIDS funding is in danger of being completely eliminated.

“Funding for all aids programs up and down the state will be cut, pretty much eliminated, and that’s got all of us very worried, because its quite serious,” said Dr. Judy Auerbach of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation. (CBS5 6/1/09)

These cuts aren’t academic in the slightest, as the above news story points out, substantial cuts to AIDS funding will mean that people will not be able to afford drugs. They will miss doses or stop taking it all. Not only will they become sick and die, but the virus will grow stronger.

California was once the nation’s leader on AIDS care. Heck, go check out the Office of AIDS, and even despite all the cuts, there is still hope for the future and finding a cure. In San Francisco, the PrepareStudy is working to find a vaccine for HIV.

Ending funding for HIV/AIDS will quite literally kill people. There can be no debate on that subject.  And if that’s what Arnold and the Republicans want to do, they should have to say that to the faces of every single one of these people.

XPosted 4/7/2008 11:46 PM PDT on MyDesert.com by BluePalmSpringsBoyz

Overheard Saturday night at the Democrats of the Desert Awards Banquet at the Las Rancho Palmas Resort, the decision to seek to close the Cathedral City medical marijuana clinic was made by Mayor Kathy DeRosa (R), Mayor Pro Tem Charles England (R), and Councilmember Chuck Vasquez (R-Closet Case) who voted to close the clinic.

Councilmember Greg Pettis (D), Candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, and Councilmember Paul Marchand (D), Candidate for Mayor of Cathedral City, voted to support the clinic but were overruled by the Republican majority on council.  In fact, Pettis was slated to appear at an event to support medical marijuana patients at Copy Kats last night, but the event was postponed.

More below the flip…

According to a Cathedral City source for background, Cathedral City council, under the auspices of DeRosa, has a policy to apparently vote on issues in private and to not announce the individual votes of the councilmembers.  This is really “Small Town in Mass Society” (Vidich) mentality.  Anyway, the Desert Sun never printed who voted what way as the specific vote was never announced as per usual.

Seems that DeRosa, England, and Vasquez are out of step with Californians overall and Cathedral City residents who favor keeping the clinic open to service patients diagnosed with cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, etc.  Isn’t this the same party that opposes stem cell research?  What kind of family values does the Republican party really have?

December 1, 2007, World AIDS Day

In The United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief”, the so-called President Bush stated:

“Our nation pledged $15 billion over five years for HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care in many of the poorest nations on Earth…This investment has yielded the best possible return – saved lives.”

Please, let me stop laughing.  The so-called President has oftentimes promised much and then provided little to nothing for AIDS, Education, Ethnic Minorities, the poor, the disenfranchised, etc.  Now, he ‘pledges.’  Pledges.  Berlin said it best:

“No more words

You’re telling me you love me while you’re looking away

No more words, no more words

And no more promises of love

Please Mr. So-Called President, no more promises, show us the money!

The 2007 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA) is meeting in the Palm Springs Convention Center in Palm Springs, CA from November 7 – 10.  Palm Springs is the smallest city to ever host the conference.  However, this marks the largest attendance of health care experts, service providers and those living with AIDS thus far in the 11 year history of the USCA.  The USCA has had an impressive list of sessions, including institutes, seminars, workshops, roundtables, and posters.

The Desert Sun reported on the official Mayors’ Welcome Reception at Hotel Zoso:

Hundreds of people, gathered in Palm Springs for the country’s largest annual AIDS conference, raised their index fingers to the sky Thursday night.

One.

For the millions of ones lost to the epidemic. For the millions of ones who survive. And, for the millions of ones who continue the fight.

It was a common message shared during an otherwise festive cocktail party – the official Mayors’ Welcome Reception at Hotel Zoso – for the National Minority AIDS Council’s 2007 United States Conference on AIDS.

“Too many people, for a long time, have (believed) that this is a gay man’s disease,” said Clayton Barbour, medical director of the Desert AIDS Project’s Wells Fargo HIV Health Center.

“But we are a diverse community. And everyone is at risk.”

The USCA 2007 Sponsor is the National Minority AIDS Council (NMAC).  NMAC was established in 1987, and is the premiere National organization dedicated to developing leadership within communities of color to address the challenges of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.  For additional information on NMAC, send an e-mail to [email protected], or contact NMAC offices directly at NMAC – Main Office, 1931 13th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009-4432, Tel: (202) 483-6622, Fax: (202) 483-1135; (202) 483-1127.

More below the flip…

USCA 2007 is the nation’s largest AIDS conference.  USCA 2007 is covering all areas of HIV/AIDS related topics such as Treatment and Research, Housing, Nutrition, Prevention, Public Policy, Building Healthy Organizations, Care and Primary Care, and other special issues.  USCA 2007 has over 150 exhibitors and has attracted over 4,000 attendees working in all areas of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic.  USCA 2007 highlights the risk of HIV/AIDS in the Native American community.

“Too many people, for a long time, have (believed) that this is a gay man’s disease,” said Clayton Barbour, Medical Director of the Desert AIDS Project’s (DAP) Wells Fargo HIV Health Center.  DAP provides medical care and comprehensive support services to people living with HIV/AIDS in the Coachella Valley.  Free, anonymous HIV testing is available, as well as counseling, home health services, legal assistance, and assistance with housing, medications, food, re-employment, and more.  Prevention and education outreach is available to any group.  As a fundraiser, DAP operates 5 thrift stores including Revivals in Cathedral City, Palm Springs, Palm Desert and Desert Hot Springs.  To make a donation, volunteer, or for more info on DAP call 760-323-2118.

USCA 2007 Program Partners include:

• AIDS Action
• The AIDS Institute
• AIDS Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
• AIDS Medicine and Miracles
• American Academy of HIV Medicine
• Association of Nurses in AIDS Care
• Association of Nutrition Services Agencies
• The Balm in Gilead
• CAEAR Foundation
• Camp Heartland
• Elton John AIDS Foundation
• LIFEbeat
• Mothers’ Voices – United to End AIDS
• The NAMES Project Foundation
• National AIDS Housing Coalition
• National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors
• National Association of People with AIDS
• National Native American AIDS Prevention Center