HRSA Request For Information Response: Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Administrative Streamlining and Burden Reduction
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides much-needed primary medical care and essential support services for individuals living with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured. Vulnerable populations such as adolescents and young adults are in continuous need of access to Ryan White coverage in order to properly manage their condition and reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others. Unfortunately, evidence shows that requiring too-frequent administrative processes to renew eligibility is detrimental to continuity of care and leads to poorer health outcomes.
In this letter, PolicyLab faculty members Nadia Dowshen, MD, MSHP, and Sarah Wood, MD, MSHP, respond to a Request for Information from the HIV/AIDS Bureau of the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) regarding the need to adjust the Ryan White reapplication process. These comments are based in a substantial and growing body of evidence, including PolicyLab research. The core recommendation is to replace the current six-month reapplication requirement with a yearly process at most, which will increase administrative efficiency while supporting better health outcomes for the most vulnerable populations.