Latest news with #ViventHealth
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
HIV prevention funding; Wisconsin could feel big cuts
The Brief The Trump administration is weighing cuts to eliminate the CDC's Division of HIV Prevention. Vivent Health is the second-largest provider of HIV prevention and treatment services in the nation. Wisconsin gets $1.2 million in prevention efforts, making it one of the hardest-hit states. MILWAUKEE - The Trump administration is weighing cuts to eliminate the Division of HIV Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and reduce federal funding for HIV prevention programs. What we know According to Vivent Health, which has grown to be the second-largest provider of HIV prevention care in the nation, the proposal could cut more than $1.3 billion in HIV testing, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) navigation, syringe service programs (SSPs), and other prevention services. Vivent Health receives $5,375,000 in annual funding for programs in six states; $1.2 million helps with prevention efforts in Wisconsin, making it one of the hardest-hit states. Dig deeper In Wisconsin, 73% of Vivent Health patients live at or below the Federal Poverty Line, and 75% have no insurance or rely on Medicaid or Medicare. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, as of 2023, there were more than 7,300 people living with HIV in the state – and over half of people living with HIV in Wisconsin reside in Milwaukee and Dane counties. Local perspective For over two decades, Gregory León has been living with HIV. The chef and owner of the nationally recognized Amilinda said he wants to use his platform to fight the stigma. He's concerned about President Donald Trump's administration's potential cuts. "It's not something people should be ashamed of [...] We all know one person that is HIV-positive. We might not know that they are, but I'm sure in our daily lives," León said. "With their cuts, it is going to impact primarily the poor, the unhoused, people of color, the trans community, the more marginalized parts of the LGBTQ community and of society." Why you should care Reports indicate the tentative proposal would merge the program with a unit within the Department of Health and Human Services, changes León said could potentially cost lives. "At the end of the day, you're going to create a horrific situation, not only in the United States, but all over the world where people are going to be contracting AIDS and dying, and you want to prevent that," he said. What they're saying Vivent Health released the following statement from Chief Advocacy Officer Bill Keeton: "Not only would this proposal end a critical source of funding that is central to efforts to provide people most impacted by and vulnerable to HIV with life-saving medication, education and resources, but it will also ultimately raise the cost of health care for all Americans. The lifetime average costs associated with HIV care and treatment for individuals who acquire HIV are estimated at $500,000 over the course of their lifetime – a cost that will be spread across public and private insurance, healthcare systems, taxpayers and American healthcare consumers. This fact alone makes this proposal not only an affront to health, but a poor financial decision as well." The other side FOX6 News reached out to the Republican Party of Wisconsin but did not hear back. The Source Data comes from Vivent Health and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Reported plan to curtail federal funds for HIV prevention alarms provider
Vivent Health conducts tests for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. Federal funds that cover the cost of those tests and other HIV prevention services are being considered for drastic reductions. (Photo courtesy of Vivent Health) Wisconsin stands to lose at least $1.2 million a year to help prevent the spread of HIV if the federal government follows through on reported plans to drastically cut HIV prevention. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that the administration of President Donald Trump was planning sharp reductions at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Division of HIV Prevention housed there. The U.S. spends about $1.3 billion annually on HIV prevention. That includes just over $1.2 million that goes to the Wisconsin division of Vivent Health, a multistate nonprofit specializing in care for people who have HIV or are at risk of being infected. Vivent Health's federal HIV prevention grant comes through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. A department spokesperson said the agency could not provide the total it receives each year in federal HIV prevention funds by the end of the day Thursday. At Vivent, the money has helped reach tens of thousands of people across the state to help them avoid infection with the human immunodeficiency virus, said Bill Keeton, Vivent's vice president and chief advocacy officer. The funds are used for outreach to people who are vulnerable for HIV, he said. They cover the costs of testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections. They also cover services to help people who are candidates for medication that can prevent HIV infection as well as medication after being exposed to the virus. 'We do thousands of tests a year throughout the state,' said Keeton. Vivent has 10 clinics around in Wisconsin and additional mobile clinics for outreach to people who use drugs. Drug use can heighten the risk of transmitting HIV, he said. In addition, HIV prevention funds cover condom distribution and other methods of harm reduction, Keeton said, along with education to help people learn how to use condoms properly and other ways to protect themselves from HIV infection. 'These are services and programs that are designed to reach out and provide education, testing and resources designed to prevent HIV from occurring,' Keeton said. 'These dollars that we get from the federal government comprise the lion's share of the resources we get to do this work.' In 2024, Vivent in Wisconsin provided 2,200 HIV tests, about half that number for Hepatitis C and nearly 1,900 for other primary sexually transmitted infections. The organization distributed 300,000 condoms and 2.7 million clean syringes for drug users. American taxpayers and health care consumers will bear the brunt of these shortsighted policy changes. – Bill Keeton, vice president and chief advocacy officer at Vivent Health Vivent assisted 369 people with navigating the decision to use pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, daily medication to ward off the HIV virus in a person who is not already infected. Vivent has 678 patients in Wisconsin using PrEP. The CDC has reported HIV infections have fallen by 12% nationally, from 36,300 in 2018 to 31,800 in 2022. Cutting off prevention funds could reverse that trend, Keeton said, and would be a setback to efforts to end HIV — an objective that has been embraced by the last three presidential administrations, including Trump's in his first term. 'New diagnoses will increase,' Keeton said. 'New transmissions will occur — unfortunately, that means people will take on $500,000 in lifetime health care costs managing their HIV.' People will get sick, deaths will increase along with the difficulty of managing chronic illness that would otherwise be avoidable, he said, along with increasing health costs. 'American taxpayers and health care consumers will bear the brunt of these shortsighted policy changes,' Keeton said. With continued support, however, those outcomes can be avoided. 'We have the tools, we have the science, we have the interventions that can work to end HIV,' he said. 'What we lack is the resources.' Keeton told the Wisconsin Examiner that Vivent and other providers of HIV-related care started getting word earlier this week that the HIV prevention division was 'getting a lot of attention' in the White House. He acknowledged that replacing the federal money would be a challenge given the $1 billion price tag it would carry nationally. Other organizations involved in HIV health care and advocacy are looking at mounting a court challenge if the Trump administration follows through on the proposal to cut the prevention programs. For now, however, Vivent's focus is on heading off the potential cuts. Keeton said the organization is advocating with members of Congress and encouraging them to 'weigh in with the administration' to keep prevention programs funded. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
