Representatives Renee Ellmers (R-NC-02) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX-30) released the following statements this afternoon after introducing H.R. 4260 - the Ryan White Patient Equity and Choice Act of 2014:

Congresswoman Renee Ellmers:

"I'm pleased to have worked with the North Carolina HIV community and Representatives Eddie Bernice Johnson and Bennie Thompson to address some of the problems associated with HIV funding inequities occurring between the states. That's why, in partnership with my colleagues, I'm proud to introduce H.R. 4260 - The Ryan White Patient Equity and Choice Act. This bill would require HHS to study their formula and address the problems facing countless HIV patients across the country. As a nurse, I have seen firsthand the pain and anxiety that an HIV-positive diagnosis can cause. This is a terrible situation that is currently affecting over 36,500 North Carolinians living with the disease. I look forward to seeing this bill move quickly through the House of Representatives."

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson:

"This legislation is necessary to help treat and provide services for the more than 70,000 Texans who are living with HIV and the thousands more who are unaware of their status. I am proud to be an original co-sponsor of H.R. 4260 – The Ryan White Patient Equity and Choice Act. This legislation helps to level the funding to ensure that states suffering from the most HIV prevalence receive the resources necessary to combat this debilitating virus. We must provide the crucial, necessary tools to treat current HIV-positive patients and to increase their quality of life nationwide."

On Friday, March 14th, Congresswoman Ellmers introduced H.R. 4260 for herself and Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Currently, the Ryan White program assists states in identifying and treating HIV-positive individuals and providing medical care and case management services to help patients adhere to treatment. When patients are properly medicated, studies show that the virus becomes suppressed and does not spread to others.

Over the past several years, the number of HIV-positive individuals has been growing in southeastern states while declining in cities that previously experienced large HIV-positive populations. Yet those cities continue to get more Ryan White money per patient than the states where the populations are growing. The result is that many southern states do not have the funds to ensure that their patients get the virus-suppressing drugs, thus contributing to the spread of HIV while other states have money left over to provide ancillary services to their patients. This bill would take steps to address this problem.

Specifically, the bill requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to submit a report to Congress on the level of funding equity among the states and include a plan to ensure that the total level of funds in any state (per living individual with HIV/AIDS) does not vary by more than 5 percent from any other state.

The bill requires that individuals receiving services under the Ryan White program have an identified medial home which includes a primary care team led by an experienced HIV medical provider. Furthermore, medical case management must include care retention and treatment adherence services to stem the spread of the disease.

The bill establishes a patient-centered pilot program that would allow HIV patients to use Ryan White Savings Accounts - which would be established and overseen by the state receiving the grant. The funds may be used by the patient to obtain medical services from the provider of his or her choice, including pharmacy services. HHS must also conduct a study of the program and recommendations for future such projects.

The bill also ensures that state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs funded through Ryan White offer services to HIV patients through extensive pharmacy networks, including optional mail order services, multiple retail chains, specialty pharmacies, and pharmacies that focus on the HIV population.

The purpose of the bill is to make Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources as effective as possible in saving lives and preventing the spread of the HIV virus.