New York City Spending on HIV/AIDS Treatment Reached $193M in 2004, Report Says

The New York City HIV/AIDS Services Administration increased its spending for HIV/AIDS treatment from $117 million in fiscal year 1999 to $193 million in FY 2004, partly because of extended patient survival rates, according to a report released on Wednesday by the New York City Independent Budget Office, the Long Island Newsday reports. A new class of antiretrovirals, called protease inhibitors, has improved the survival rates for HIV/AIDS patients, the three-page report says. An increased need for public assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and intensive care management -- including home and hospital visits -- also have led to increased spending, according to the report. Bob McHugh, a spokesperson for the Human Resources Administration, which oversees the HIV/AIDS administration, said the agency has shifted from primarily serving the terminally ill to serving HIV-positive individuals who are living longer and presenting more complex needs. The HIV/AIDS Services Administration currently handles more than 30,000 cases, compared with 617 cases in 1986. More than 100,000 HIV-positive people live in New York City, according to Scott Kellerman, assistant commissioner for HIV prevention and control at the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (Taylor, Long Island Newsday, 8/11).