For Press Release: 11/30/2015

Governor Commits an Additional $200 Million to Support HIV/AIDS Efforts, Supplementing the $2.5 Billion the State Currently Directs to Address HIV/AIDS

Governor Also Calls on Federal Government for Additional Support to Address HIV/AIDS

Milestones Reached: No New Cases of Mother to Child Transmission in More Than a Year; State Cited as National Leader in Expanding Use of Medication to Prevent New Infections

In recognition of World AIDS Day, Governor Andrew Cuomo today made a series of announcements regarding the next phase of New York State’s Plan to End the AIDS Epidemic in the State. New York State is a national leader in providing high quality support services to individuals infected with HIV/AIDS, directing more than $2.5 billion annually to fight against the disease.

“New York was once the epicenter of the AIDS crisis – but now we are showing the nation how to fight back and make this epidemic a thing of the past,” said Governor Cuomo. “We are making rapid progress toward a future where more people know their status, medication is easily accessible, and new cases are more and more rare. As we mark World AIDS Day, we remember all those we have lost, and we recommit ourselves to ending this epidemic once and for all.”

Today, the Governor is committing $200 million in new funding toward HIV/AIDS efforts, which is in addition to the $2.5 billion in public funding that the state currently directs toward addressing the disease. He is also calling on the federal government to increase its contribution nationwide for housing assistance for people living with HIV and AIDS. Funding from the federal government on housing assistance for people living with HIV nationwide has remained effectively stagnant for more than 5 years at less than $300 million annually, and renewed support from Washington is vital to maintaining the progress that has been achieved thus far in addressing the epidemic.

Further, the Governor announced that in addition to the billions of dollars the State directs to HIV/AIDS efforts, New York State will make additional financial and programmatic commitments to ensure that New York State Ends AIDS by 2020, including:

1. expanding the availability of affordable housing and providing additional housing assistance for those living with HIV;

2. making life insurance available to individuals between the ages of 30 and 60 living with HIV;

3. investing more funding into Medicaid Managed Care Plans; and

4. investing more funding to help enhance services at “One Stop” STD clinics in New York City.

In addition to these items, the Governor plans to outline other components to the State’s plan to End AIDS in the Governor’s State of the State address and executive budget early next year.

Further, the Governor announced that the State has made great strides toward his goal to End AIDS by 2020. No new cases of mother-to-child transmission of HIV have been reported since August of 2014, the first time there have been no new cases over a twelve-month period since the outbreak of the AIDS epidemic. Additionally, New York State has been recognized as a national leader in the effort to increase availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) a medication that helps HIV-negative individuals reduce their risk of becoming infected. Since June 2014, there has been over a 300 percent increase in PrEP use among Medicaid enrollees.

Commissioner of Health Dr. Howard Zucker said: “Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York continues to take bold and aggressive strides toward ending the AIDS epidemic and stopping the spread of HIV, while also looking out for those already infected. Taken together these policies and initiatives ensure that New Yorkers with HIV and those at risk for it receive the support and care they need.”

To date, more than 202,000 New Yorkers have been diagnosed with AIDS, and more than 112,000 individuals in the State are currently living with diagnosed HIV/AIDS. Earlier this year, Governor Cuomo’s “Ending the Epidemic Task Force” delivered its final blueprint for fulfilling the goal of ending the epidemic by 2020. Since that time, major steps were taken to implement the plan’s three main pillars of: (1) expanding HIV testing, (2) ensuring that everyone with HIV can get treatment, and (3) increasing the availability of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), a medication that helps HIV-negative individuals reduce their risk of becoming infected. This includes: significantly increasing the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), enhanced efforts to increase viral suppression rates among state prison inmates, and identification of thousands of HIV-infected Medicaid recipients in need of support to achieve viral suppression.

Significant key accomplishments currently underway include:

New York State significantly reduces Mother-to Child transmission of HIV/AIDS
Over the last 12 months, for the first time since the HIV/AIDS epidemic began, New York State had zero reports of HIV/AIDS infections passed from mother to child. While this data is preliminary, it reflects extremely high rates of viral suppression among HIV-infected women of child-bearing age. It also demonstrates the quality of New York’s newborn screening program, which ensures an aggressive stance toward testing pregnant women and that all HIV exposed infants are identified and treated prophylactically as appropriate.

New York State significantly reduces estimates of New Yorkers living with HIV
New technology and an improved methodology have allowed the state to develop a more accurate depiction of New Yorkers living with HIV. Updated surveillance systems and effective use of field investigators actively looking for people who appear to have fallen out of care have resulted in a decrease of approximately 20,000 persons included in the state’s Cascade of Care. The new cascade model assigns cases based on an analysis of recent addresses and patterns of accessing care.

National recognition of New York State’s uptake in PrEP
New York State is being recognized nationally by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for its work facilitating access to PrEP, point three in Governor Cuomo’s three point plan to end the HIV epidemic. There was a greater than three-fold increase in PrEP use among Medicaid recipients in 2015. On Dec. 1 – World AIDS Day – State Health Commissioner, Dr. Howard Zucker will present the findings during a national teleconference hosted by the CDC.

Next steps in support of ending the epidemic include:

NYS Increases Commitment to Helping Individuals with HIV/AIDS Obtain Affordable Housing/Housing Assistance
Access to affordable, safe and stable housing was a key recommendation of the ETE Blueprint developed by the Task Force. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York has expanded supportive housing which directly benefits individuals with HIV/AIDS and, in the next fiscal year, will be further expanding affordable housing and providing housing assistance for those living with HIV.

Recommendations include key interventions that effectively address complex and intersecting health and social conditions and reduce health disparities, particularly among New York’s low-income and most vulnerable and marginalized residents. These interventions seek to diminish barriers to care and enhance access to care and treatment leaving no sub-population behind. Under Governor Cuomo’s leadership, New York State has prioritized housing and continues to work with the City of New York to provide access to affordable housing.

NYS Approves Life Insurance Product for Persons Living with HIV
Both permanent and term life insurance will now be available to individuals living with HIV, between the ages of 30 and 60, provided there is sufficient insurable interest and an individual meets specific underwriting criteria. The Department of Financial Services (DFS) has approved the life insurance product to be sold effective December 1. The availability of life insurance for persons living with HIV is responsive to historic stigma against persons living with HIV and is reflective of advances in care that make an average life span a reality for many New Yorkers living with HIV.

NYS Launches Medicaid Managed Care Program to Promote Patient Linkage and Retention in Care
A new pilot program with Medicaid Managed Care plans will help bring 6,000 HIV positive patients into care and provide support to achieve viral suppression. To support the pilot, $500,000 is being awarded to five plans to develop or strengthen systems to locate and engage individuals whose current health status is in question. In 2016, the data sharing and case finding will be expanded to include all Medicaid Managed Care Plans.

NYS Provides Additional Funding to NYC “One-Stop” STD Clinics to Enhance Services
New York State is providing an additional $1 million in funding to New York City clinics that provide diagnoses and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases (STD). The funding will be used to employ a ‘One-Stop STD Clinic’ model, which provides immediate access to PrEP and anti-retrovirals for newly diagnosed HIV-positive persons. This model provides access to targeted prevention, access to medical care including HIV and STD screening and treatment, bio-medical (PrEP) and behavioral prevention services.

NYS Provides Support for HIV-positive inmates in New York State correctional facilities
For the first time, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS) are working together to identify all HIV-positive inmates in state prison who appear to be out of care. This public health initiative will encourage all HIV-infected inmates to achieve viral suppression, which improves their own long term health prospects and makes it less likely they can transmit the disease to others. These efforts also decrease the long term costs to the State.

NYS Intensifies actions to ensure compliance with the HIV testing law
New York State has reviewed all hospitals operating in the State for compliance with the routine HIV testing offer as mandated by state law. The review, which was completed this year, found that many hospitals did not have adequate policies and procedures. Today, 100 percent of hospitals have policies and procedures. Further, the State is reviewing thousands of patient admission records across hospital emergency departments to ensure compliance with the mandatory offer of HIV testing to individuals ages 13-64.

NYS engages New Yorkers in ending the epidemic through statewide regional forums
Over a three month period, more than 800 New Yorkers have participated in state sponsored regional discussions on local efforts for ending the AIDS epidemic. Local leaders and elected officials are paving the way to implement key strategies through the initiation of regionally based task forces, public education initiatives, and the establishment of community-based networks to develop local action plans.

2015 Launch of the NYS ETE Dashboard
New York State launched an ETE Dashboard system – a public website to broadly disseminate information on the progress of New York’s groundbreaking initiative to end the AIDS epidemic. The Dashboard system displays the latest information about New York State’s AIDS epidemic including information on, HIV incidence and prevalence, as well as HIV prevention, testing, and care. Funded by DOH, the ETE Dashboard was designed and is maintained by Hunter College and the School of Public Health of the City University of New York, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

For additional information on Ending the AIDS Epidemic in New York State, visit: health.ny.gov/EndingtheEpidemic