Massachusetts Provides HIV Services Through Medicaid.It took two years of effort, but Massachusetts will now be able to help HIV-positive people It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome. buy the drugs they need to delay the onset of full-blown AIDS. The Bay State is only the second state, after Maine ("On First Reading," June 2000), to provide expanded services to HIV-positive patients on Medicaid. To cover increased costs, Governor Paul Cellucci Argeo Paul Cellucci (born April 24, 1948) better known as Paul Cellucci, is an American politician and diplomat, former Governor of Massachusetts, and former Ambassador to Canada. is seeking $13.8 million in state funding for FY 2002, which the state legislature is likely to approve soon. Current U.S. Health and Human Services Noun 1. Health and Human Services - the United States federal department that administers all federal programs dealing with health and welfare; created in 1979 Department of Health and Human Services, HHS regulations restrict comprehensive Medicaid services to only those individuals who have full-blown AIDS. States can, however, seek a waiver from compliance so that they can expand state Medicaid services to people who have tested HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. positive. Massachusetts legislators sought such a waiver for the past two years, along with a $10 million increase in state funding, but the waiver did not come through until now. Prescription drug prescription drug Prescription medication Pharmacology An FDA-approved drug which must, by federal law or regulation, be dispensed only pursuant to a prescription–eg, finished dose form and active ingredients subject to the provisos of the Federal Food, Drug, combinations, treatment and counseling have contributed to a significant decline in AIDS deaths, says Senator Mark Montigny, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means WAYS AND MEANS. In legislative assemblies there is usually appointed a committee whose duties are to inquire into, and propose to the house, the ways and means to be adopted to raise funds for the use of the government. This body is called the committee of ways and means. Committee. Massachusetts' Senate leadership has worked to expand eligibility for benefits to HIV-positive individuals who are at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. "We are thrilled that the state has obtained the waiver to finally enable those who test HIV positive to have access to potentially life-saving treatments," the senator adds. The expanded services for HIV positive patients are administered through the MassHealth program and include primary care doctor visits, vaccinations, prescription drugs, lab tests and other medical services. The expansion in drug coverage is particularly important. New drugs that allow those with HIV to live longer and healthier lives have been available since the mid-1990s. The drugs allow HIV-positive individuals to stave off AIDS for several years, but are expensive and often unaffordable un·af·ford·a·ble adj. Too expensive: medical care that has become unaffordable for many. un for those on lower incomes. To become eligible for the new coverage, applicants with HIV must have incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level ($16,704 for a single person and $32,064 for a family of four). The state Division of Medical Assistance was expected to begin taking applications for coverage in late March or early April. |
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