Insurance Cutoff Is Delayed; AIDS Test Unit Reopens

Los Angeles County’s largest AIDS testing clinic quietly resumed operation Monday while officials at the Hollywood facility scrambled to find a new insurance carrier before its 30-day policy extension ends next month.

The clinic at the Edelman Health Center, part of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center, was forced to shut down last week when its Boston-based insurance company refused to renew malpractice coverage for the facility’s AIDS-related services.

However, Mayor Tom Bradley intervened and persuaded the Lexington Insurance Co. to extend the clinic’s insurance policy for one month.

Looking for a Hero

“We had our holiday party on Friday but we didn’t know if we would have anything to celebrate,” said Torie Osborn, executive director of the center. “We finally got the news but we still need some hero to step forward and do us a good deed.”

The clinic provides testing for the human immunodeficiency virus, evaluation and monitoring for people infected with HIV and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases. The 310 patients who were turned away between Tuesday and Friday had their appointments rescheduled or were referred to other AIDS treatment centers.

Only a few patients were at the clinic Monday morning. Officials there said many patients were unaware that the center had reopened.

Osborn said the clinic was notified by Lexington on Dec. 12, the day the center’s policy expired, that the company was withdrawing its medical malpractice coverage. She said the center received no warning that its medical coverage would be canceled.

Lexington’s president, Kevin Kelley, could not be reached for comment Monday. However, Osborn said the insurance company was “emphatic” that the clinic’s policy would not be extended beyond mid-January.

Wondering Why

“We were wondering why us, why now, why an AIDS clinic?” she asked. “But there’s just a lot of skittishness in the insurance industry when it comes to AIDS. It’s extremely unfortunate that we’re in the middle of an AIDS epidemic and having an insurance crisis at the same time.”

The clinic’s testing center handles about 7,800 patients each year, nearly double the number of any other AIDS treatment center in the county. The facility also operates the county’s only AIDS prevention clinic.

The center has received offers of assistance from the United Way and other organizations to help it find alternative medical coverage. Bill Chandler, a spokesman for Bradley, said the mayor would stay involved until a new insurance carrier can be found and county Supervisor Ed Edelman, after whom the center is named, has also offered support.