[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 172 (Thursday, November 19, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2824]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCING THE INCREASING ACCESS TO VOLUNTARY SCREENING FOR HIV/AIDS 
                          AND STIS ACT OF 2009

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. ALCEE L. HASTINGS

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 19, 2009

  Mr. HASTINGS of Florida. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce the 
Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/AIDS and Sexually 
Transmitted Infections Act of 2009, a bill that will reduce the spread 
and morbidities associated with HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted 
infections, STIs.
  Fifty percent of sexually active Americans will contract an STI at 
some point in their lives, and 15 million STIs are reported each year 
in the United States. Many of these infections are asymptomatic for an 
extended amount of time and often remain undiagnosed, or diagnosed at 
later stages resulting in increased rates of mortality, morbidity, 
disability, and transmission.
  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, and the United 
States Preventive Services Task Force recommend that voluntary 
screening for HIV/AIDS and other STIs be integrated into routine 
clinical care. However, stigma, culture, language, lack of education, 
cost, limited resources, and inaccurate perceptions of risk contribute 
to insufficient screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs. And, these same 
factors have exacerbated the instances of transmission and late 
detection of HIV/AIDS and STIs over the past decade.
  The Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/AIDS and STIs 
Act of 2009 takes an aggressive and multifaceted approach to combating 
HIV/AIDS and STIs by increasing access to voluntary screening and other 
preventative methods while preserving patient rights and 
confidentiality.
  Among other things, my bill includes 83 percent Federal Medical 
Assistance Percentages, FMAP, rate for the screening of HIV/AIDS and 
other STIs and requires all private health insurance plans to cover 
screening for HIV/AIDS and other STIs. My bill provides grants to 
Federally Qualified Health Centers to serve individuals who cannot 
access screening because they lack insurance coverage or sufficient 
income. And, my bill urges the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid 
Services (CMS) to implement a broad and comprehensive approach to 
covering screening for HIV/AIDS, and encourages CMS to take steps to 
reimburse screening for other STIs.
  Additionally, the Increasing Access to Voluntary Screening for HIV/
AIDs and STIs Act of 2009 supports access to early medical and mental 
treatment. It includes language from the Early Treatment for HIV/AIDS 
Act, ETHA, and requires testing facilities to link patients to 
appropriate medical and mental health services.
  Lastly, the bill will make screening and other preventative services 
more accessible to groups that have been historically underrepresented 
in public health interventions for HIV/AIDS and other STIs. It requires 
the Director of the CDC to work with appropriate entities to track 
screening trends for HIV/AIDS and STIs among people with disabilities, 
and ensure that comprehensive sex education materials are accessible to 
these individuals. The bill directs the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services to take the appropriate steps to ensure that all women have 
equal access to screening for cervical cancer regardless of sexual 
behavior or sexual orientation. And, this bill directs the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services to improve research efforts concerning the 
prevention, spread and transmission of HIV/AIDS and STIs in the 
transgender community.
  Madam Speaker, voluntary and routine screening for HIV/AIDS and other 
STIs is an effective and low-cost approach to decreasing the life-
threatening and life-altering effects of these infections. I urge my 
colleagues to support this important bill that includes a comprehensive 
and evidence based strategy to improve the overall health of our 
nation.

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