Healthcare costs for HIV patients

Re “State ignored HIV law, judge says,” Dec. 5

We have worked hard to expand programs that serve people living with HIV/AIDS.

The waiver authorized by AB 2197 would have allowed people who now receive their care from the AIDS Drug Assistance Program to supplement their care by obtaining coverage from Medi-Cal. This cost would be offset by savings from enrolling Medi-Cal eligible people with AIDS into HMOs.

We have a disagreement with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation about the vigor with which we pursued federal approval for this effort and worked to encourage individuals with HIV to enroll in managed care.

However, the foundation’s allegations that we “never had any intention of enforcing” the law or that we undermined “the basic structure of democracy” are baseless. The law was clear that its costs must be offset by savings. Unfortunately, because of the costs of some managed-care plans, we could not demonstrate that. We will continue to work to implement the law in a cost-neutral manner, as the Legislature intended.

Sandra Shewry

Sacramento

The writer is director of the California Department of Health Care Services.