Health Care Stories: "Universal Health Care is Important"

Even with state and local assistance programs individuals without insurance suffering from chronic conditions do not have access to the proper care they need.   Both the House and Senate healthcare plans will give Hudson and low-income people living with HIV access to Medicaid.  Currently, individuals with HIV can only get Medicaid coverage if they are so sick that they become disabled.  The House and Senate plans will extend Medicaid to everyone under 133% or 150% of poverty, and give states the option to expand Medicaid to everyone with HIV up to 400% of poverty.  These provisions alone will revolutionize healthcare for people with HIV.
 

“I have no health care and have not since 2003 and if it weren’t for the Ryan White Care Act and the center in Chicago, IL I wouldn’t be where I am today.  I have been HIV positive for about six years now and started meds…but I still need health care so that I can go to the dentist, get eye glasses, and to make sure that the rest of my body is intact to continue to fight the fight…The reason why I am writing this story is so that people can know that there is hope and that they [too can] get to the other side, but universal health care is important and the laws need to be changed…” 

Hudson De Witt Kelly, Chicago, IL

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*The individuals profiled in this post are sharing his real-life story and image to put the current healthcare-reform debate in context. Media interested in interviewing HIV-positive people about health-coverage issues should contact AFC Communications Director Johnathon Briggs at jbriggs@aidschicago or 312-334-0922.