WASHINGTON– Research results are starting to come in on the impact of the health care reform law often referred to as “Obamacare.” Among them is a new study out of the University of Virginia that looks at one specific group: low-income patients that are HIV positive.
A UVA research team reviewed about 4,000 cases across the state. These HIV patients had to meet two criteria: they had to be eligible for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, and they had to be already enrolled in the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program, or ADAP.
The researchers found that those who signed up for insurance under “Obamacare” did much better than those who received medications only through ADAP. They had much higher rates of viral suppression, which is a key indicator of effective treatment.
The authors of the study say the insured patients have an edge because they have greater access to both general health care services and medications for conditions beyond HIV.
They also say the Affordable Care Act may be a more cost-effective way to help people with HIV, even if the state ADAP program covers their premiums, deductibles and co-pays.
That is because the drugs that can prevent HIV from turning into AIDS can be expensive, and providing them through insurance is cheaper than getting them directly through a state program with a waiting list and limited resources.
The researchers presented their findings in San Diego, California, at the annual meeting of the Infectious Disease Society of America. Their study is getting attention because every state has some form of ADAP program, and because Virginia is one of 20 states that refused to expand Medicaid when the Affordable Care Act was signed into law.
