$2 Million Available in Cooperative Agreement for Engaging People Living With HIV Infection to Start Antiretroviral Therapy

WASHINGTON, Jan. 22 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it expects to award a cooperative agreement for an insurance-based data-to-care strategy to engage people living with HIV infection to care and start antiretroviral therapy.

The estimated total program funding available was cited as $1,950,000 with a ceiling of $650,000.

This funding opportunity is open to state, county, city, township and special district governments; Native American tribal governments and organizations; independent school districts; institutions of higher education; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; Historically Black Colleges and Universities; Tribally-Controlled Colleges and Universities; non-profits; nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRSfor-profits; small businesses; eligible agencies of the federal government; and faith-based or community organizations.

The agency description of the grant states: "Approximately 40,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with HIV in 2016 (https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-report-2016-vol-28.pdf). Antiretroviral therapy has been recommended for all persons living with HIV since 2012. However, in 2014, among persons with diagnosed HIV infection, 57.9% of all persons were virally suppressed and 48.1% of youth were virally suppressed (https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/pdf/library/reports/surveillance/cdc-hiv-surveillance-supplemental-report-vol-22-2.pdf ).

Insurers have information on clinical encounters which provide them with diagnoses codes. They also have information on pharmacy claims data and can assess if persons with a diagnosis of HIV are receiving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. Thus, they are in position to assure that their insured clients with an HIV diagnosis fill ARV prescriptions for the treatment of HIV infection.

This announcement requests applications to develop and implement a novel strategy that uses insurance claims data to identify persons with a diagnosis of HIV who do not have ARV prescriptions. This could include those who never had ARV prescriptions, or have not had an ARV prescription for an extended period (e.g. > 6 months). An escalating level of interventions will be developed to start people on ARVs whereby the insurer (e.g. case manager) or the provider (e.g. clinic-based case managers or navigators) initiate the contact with the patient.

If the provider and insurer cannot locate the patient, they work with the health department (via an established data sharing agreement) to initiate a field services investigation. Outcomes of interest are increased use of antiretroviral therapy, retention in HIV care, and HIV viral suppression."

The funding opportunity number is CDC-RFA-PS18-1811 (CFDA 93.941). It was posted on Jan. 16 with an application closing date of Sept. 28.

For more information, contact Paul J. Weidle, 404/639-6155, pew6@cdc.gov.

TARGETED NEWS SERVICE: Myron Struck, editor; 703/304-1897; editor@targetednews.com; https://targetednews.com