About AHF & The Ryan White Program
Who Was Ryan White
Let’s go back to 1985. Ryan White was a middle school teenager with hemophilia. He contracted HIV through a contaminated blood transfusion, was expelled from school and with his family faced intense discrimination fueled by fear and misinformation about HIV. After a lengthy legal battle, Ryan returned to school and became a national symbol of compassion, education and the fight against HIV stigma.
Before his death in 1990, Ryan’s courage and testimony helped inspire Congress to pass the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, establishing the nation’s largest federally funded program dedicated to people living with HIV.
What is the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program?
Since 1990 the Ryan White Care Act has funded grants directly to states, cities, counties and community based organizations through categories known as Part A, B, C, D, and F (There is no Part E). As the nation’s payer of last resort, these grants help fill in gaps in care after private, Medicare or Medicaid.
How AHF Helps?
Today, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) proudly carries Ryan White’s legacy forward through more than 75 Ryan White programs and contract across 16 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, providing compassionate medical care, care management and access to life-saving resources for thousands of clients each year.
AHF Ryan White Medical Subspecialty Referral Programs
The Medical Subspecialty Referral Programs administered by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) operate under the federal Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program to provide a vital bridge between primary HIV care and complex, specialized medicine. The fundamental purpose of these programs is to ensure that low-income, uninsured, or underinsured individuals living with HIV have seamless, cost-free access to essential outpatient specialist outpatient specialist care that directly impacts their overall health and treatment success.
The Power of U=U
Undetectable = Untransmittable (U=U) Clients receiving Ryan White services consistently achieve viral suppression rates that exceed the national average. With access to quality medical care, medications and support services, people living with HIV can live long, healthy lives while preventing transmission of HIV.
Part A, B, C, D, and F
Part A Eligible Metropolitan Area ( EMA) or Transitional Grant Areas (TGAs) : This supports large metropolitan areas with the highest number of people living with HIV. These funds go directly to local jurisdictions so they can provide medical care and support services that meet the needs of their communities.
Part B (State and Territory Funding): This supports states and territories in providing HIV care, particularly for people living outside major metropolitan areas. It also funds the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). If you cannot afford your daily life-saving HIV medications, ADAP may help pay for them.
Part C (Early Intervention Services): Provides direct funding to community health centers, hospitals, universities, and other outpatient clinics so people can receive HIV testing, primary medical care and treatment as early as possible. Many programs also provide care management, education and medication adherence support.
Part D (Women, Infants, Children, & Youth): The Family and Youth Fund. Women, infants, children, youth and families often have unique medical and support needs. Part D funds family-centered HIV care designed to keep parents and children healthy together.
Part E is no longer a part of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program. Its functions have been incorporated into other Parts as the program evolved over time.
Part F (Dental Programs & Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS)): The Dental Program helps train dental professionals and expand access of oral healthcare because HIV can significantly affect oral health. The SPNS funds innovative programs that test new models of HIV care and identify best practices that can be expanded across the country.