San Francisco: CARE Bill Hearing, December 11

The San Francisco HIV Health Service Planning Council is
holding a public hearing for community input on the needs and
priorities for HIV services in San Francisco. The Council has
been appointed by Mayor Agnos to set the priorities for
allocating the Ryan White CARE bill disaster relief money. The
legislation directs the money to be used for direct health care,
both inpatient and outpatient, and for support services for
people with HIV; the money cannot be spent on education or
prevention. San Francisco will be receiving approximately $6.4
million with an additional $6.4 million available through
competitive grants. The Council is required to come up with a
plan for spending the money by February 1991, so they are working
on a very short timeline.

The public hearing is being held to listen to the needs and
priorities that the people of San Francisco feel are the most
urgent and important. The Council has asked that speakers
present their top priorities and identify what type of services
they would suggest to meet those needs. Individuals who cannot
attend the hearing are encouraged to send in written comments and
suggestions.

The hearing will be December 11, 1990 from 3-6 pm, at the
Department of Public Health, 101 Grove Street, room 300. Written
comments should be sent as soon as possible to HHSP Council, c/c
DPH AIDS Office, 25 Van Ness, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA
94102.

Comment

The Council wants to hear from individuals about the most
important needs and priorities for HIV services, and about
existing service gaps. You can help by letting it know about any
problem areas where you have first-hand knowledge or experience.

One area that we believe especially needs more funding is
benefits counseling -- helping persons with AIDS or HIV obtain
public benefits or private insurance to which they are legally
entitled. Unfortunately, institutions have an incentive to
complicate their forms and procedures to keep from paying money
due. There are cases of applications being stalled in the hope
that persons with AIDS will die before benefits have to be paid.
It can be difficult for persons who are ill to protect
themselves, without assistance.

Two organizations, AIDS Benefits Counselors and the San
Francisco AIDS Foundation, provide different kinds of benefit
assistance. The AIDS Foundation teaches people how to apply;
AIDS Benefits Counselors provides one-on-one assistance with
applications, and organizes volunteer attorneys when needed for
appeals.

Anyone with first-hand knowledge about problems in obtaining
benefits should contact the Council at the address above. Which
organizations have been most effective in providing assistance?
Where could additional funding do most good?