Question

I do not have a health insurance. How can I get treatment in the USA?

17 October 2011. Related: Access to treatment, All topics, Living with HIV long-term.

I have just been diagnosed with hiv and I do not have medical insurance. What would be the next course of action so that i may get one to help pay for the medical expenses in the USA? I know life expectancy varies and some studies say 27 others up to 50. Is there a more exact test and answer? Is life with hiv considerably normal?

Answer

Answer: Li Marhaban

We are based in the UK and provide information to the public.  It is difficult for us to advise you properly because access to treatment in the US is specific and complicated.  You could try contacting your local HIV organisation in your state or try Project Inform and poz.com.  The link are listed below.

http://www.projectinform.org/

http://www.poz.com/

Most people in the US try to pay with insurance and this is a very complex system.  You can also try contacting Medicare and ADAP (AIDS Drugs Assistance Programmes).   ADAP focuses on the quality and efficacy of programs that serve low-income, uninsured and under insured people, who do not have medical insurance for HIV.  Their link is listed below.

http://www.idph.state.il.us/health/aids/adap.htm

Having HIV is never easy but it is important for you to know that with today’s drugs, HIV is a treatable and manageable infection.  HIV treatment can give you a near normal life expectancy and a good quality of life.  Nobody can say what the exact life expectancy in a situation like this are, as there are too many factors that can play a role.

How long anyone lives depends on things you can change (smoking, exercise, medication) and thing you can’t (genetics and bad luck).  A study in Denmark (2005) has estimated that the survival is more than 35 years for a young person diagnosed with HIV infection and another study in Canada (2003) has shown that in the US, life expectancy at age 20 years was 58.3 years.

By the way, are receiving any support or counselling?  You might want to consider doing it because it will help you to come to terms with it rather than having to deal with all by himself.