Data on HIV/AIDS Reported by Researchers at University of North Carolina (Impact of Health Insurance, ADAP, and Income on HIV Viral Suppression Among…

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Data on HIV/AIDS Reported by Researchers at University of North Carolina (Impact of Health Insurance, ADAP, and Income on HIV Viral Suppression Among US Women in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, 2006-2009)

By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News -- Research findings on Immune System Diseases and Conditions - HIV/AIDS are discussed in a new report. According to news reporting out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, by VerticalNews editors, research stated, "Implementation of the Affordable Care Act motivates assessment of health insurance and supplementary programs, such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) on health outcomes of HIV-infected people in the United States. We assessed the effects of health insurance, ADAP, and income on HIV viral load suppression."

Our news journalists obtained a quote from the research from the University of North Carolina, "We used existing cohort data from the HIV-infected participants of the Women's Interagency HIV Study. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the time from 2006 to unsuppressed HIV viral load (>200 copies/mL) among those with Medicaid, private, Medicare, or other public insurance, and no insurance, stratified by the use of ADAP. In 2006, 65% of women had Medicaid, 18% had private insurance, 3% had Medicare or other public insurance, and 14% reported no health insurance. ADAP coverage was reported by 284 women (20%); 56% of uninsured participants reported ADAP coverage. After accounting for study site, age, race, lowest observed CD4, and previous health insurance, the hazard ratio (HR) for unsuppressed viral load among those privately insured without ADAP, compared with those on Medicaid without ADAP (referent group), was 0.61 (95% CI: 0.48 to 0.77). Among the uninsured, those with ADAP had a lower relative hazard of unsuppressed viral load compared with the referent group (HR, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.28 to 0.85) than those without ADAP (HR, 95% CI: 1.00, 0.63 to 1.57). Although women with private insurance are most likely to be virally suppressed, ADAP also contributes to viral load suppression."

According to the news editors, the research concluded: "Continued support of this program may be especially critical for states that have not expanded Medicaid."

For more information on this research see: Impact of Health Insurance, ADAP, and Income on HIV Viral Suppression Among US Women in the Women's Interagency HIV Study, 2006-2009. Jaids-Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes, 2016;73(3):307-312. Jaids-Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes can be contacted at: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Two Commerce Sq, 2001 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.

Our news journalists report that additional information may be obtained by contacting C. Ludema, University of North Carolina, Sch Med, Div Infect Dis, Chapel Hill, NC 27517, United States. Additional authors for this research include S.R. Cole, J.J. Eron, A. Edmonds, G.M. Holmes, K. Anastos, J. Cocohoba, M. Cohen, H.L.F. Cooper, E.T. Golub, S. Kassaye, D. Konkle-Parker, L. Metsch, J. Milam, T.E. Wilson and A.A. Adimora.

Keywords for this news article include: Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America, Viral Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Conditions, Immune System Diseases and Conditions, Virus Physiological Phenomena, Microbiological Techniques, Primate Lentiviruses, Vertebrate Viruses, Health Insurance, HIV Infections, Health Policy, Retroviridae, RNA Viruses, Viral Load, Medicare, Medicaid, HIV/AIDS, University of North Carolina.