Fourteen-time Grammy Award-winning artist and HIV advocate Alicia Keys has teamed up with Greater Than AIDS to launch EMPOWERED, a new public information campaign to reach women in the U.S. about HIV/AIDS. Being released in the lead-up to National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (March 10), the ongoing EMPOWERED campaign includes targeted public service ads (PSAs) and community engagement opportunities.

Approximately 280,000 people living with HIV in the U.S. – or about one in four – are women. Women of color have been especially hard-hit, accounting for the large majority of new infections occurring among women in the U.S.

As a force in the global fight against AIDS, Keys has dedicated her work in philanthropy to help bring awareness to the urgency of HIV/AIDS. Now with the launch of EMPOWERED, she is once again highlighting the power of women – as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, partners and people living with HIV – to change the course of this disease through every day actions.

“When I became aware that women accounted for one in five new HIV infections occurring in the U.S. each year, it shook me to the core and I realized this is an issue we ALL need to pay attention to,” said Alicia Keys. “Whether HIV positive or negative, we all have the opportunity to educate ourselves and make a difference.”

Most HIV infections among American women are a result of heterosexual transmission, and to a lesser extent sharing needles. There has been some recent encouraging news when it comes to women and HIV. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) there was a significant 21 percent decrease in new HIV infections among women in the U.S. between 2008 and 2010. For progress to continue, experts caution efforts must be sustained. More information about women and HIV/AIDS is available from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Alicia Keys on this new Greater Than AIDS campaign to reach women about HIV,” said Drew Altman, president and CEO of the Kaiser Family Foundation. “As the backbone of so many families in this country, as well as a population affected by the disease, women are central to the fight against HIV.”

The campaign promotes specific ways women are empowered in the face of HIV/AIDS:

• EMPOWERED to know the facts about HIV/AIDS, including the impact of HIV on women
• EMPOWERED to speak openly about HIV/AIDS with family, friends and others in our lives
• EMPOWERED to protect ourselves and our loved ones
• EMPOWERED to ask to be tested and to know doing so is an act of pride, not shame
• EMPOWERED to live full and healthy lives and help prevent spread of disease if positive by staying on treatment

The first phase of the campaign features Ms. Keys in conversation with five HIV positive women from different parts of the country and walks of life. Among them are: Cristina, a graduate student from the San Francisco Bay Area who was born with HIV; Eva, a home health care worker living in Atlanta with her family; Kym, a young professional living in Texas who learned she was positive after her new husband became sick and died as a result of HIV; Jen, a wife and mother in Portland (OR) who has being living with HIV for over 20 years; and Stephanie, a recent college graduate from North Carolina who appeared in an MTV special on youth and HIV. They share their stories in the hopes of reaching other women and showing how, whether positive or negative, we are all empowered in this fight.

The theme of empowerment carries throughout the cross-platform campaign, which will include TV, radio, outdoor, print and digital public service ads (PSAs), special programming, social media promotions, informational materials, resources and more. A half-hour video of Ms. Keys’ conversation with the women will be made available for community screenings and discussion.

For more information about Greater Than AIDS and the EMPOWERED campaign, as well as to view the video of Alicia Keys conversation with women living with HIV, visit: www.greaterthan.org/empowered.

About Greater Than AIDS

Greater Than AIDS is a leading national public information response focused on the U.S. domestic epidemic. Launched in 2009, it is supported by a broad coalition of public and private sector partners, including: major media and other business leaders; Federal, state and local health agencies and departments; national leadership groups; AIDS service and other community organizations; and foundations, among others.

Through targeted media messages and community outreach, Greater Than AIDS works to increase knowledge, reduce stigma and promote actions to stem the spread of the disease. While national in scope, Greater Than AIDS focuses on communities most affected.

The Kaiser Family Foundation – a leader in health policy and communication – provides strategic direction and day-to-day management, as well as oversees the production of the campaigns. The Black AIDS Institute – a think tank exclusively focused on AIDS in Black America – provides leadership and expert guidance and supports community engagement. Additional financial and substantive support is provided by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Ford Foundation and MAC AIDS, among others.

About Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys is a fourteen-time Grammy Award®-winning singer/songwriter/producer, actress, New York Times best-selling author, entrepreneur and humanitarian. Since releasing her debut album, songs in A minor, Keys has built an unparalleled repertoire of hits with over 30 million albums sold worldwide. As a philanthropist, Keys co-founded Keep a Child Alive (KCA) which provides AIDS treatment, support, nutrition and love to children and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and India.

Most Americans have access to health insurance through an employer-sponsored health plan, a fact that has made changing or losing a job a complex issue for the purposes of maintaining health insurance. Moving to a new job can be hard if the employer does not offer health insurance, or if the new employer’s health plan is not as generous as the previous employer’s plan. And with limited protections for people with pre-existing conditions, many people stay in jobs to keep their insurance rather than risk losing coverage. Portability, in the context of health insurance, describes the ability of an employee to maintain access to health insurance coverage and comprehensive benefits after leaving a job. It also applies to the ability of those purchasing insurance on their own to drop one insurance policy and buy another.

This fact sheet explains how portability is regulated under current law and how the Affordable Care Act will affect portability in 2014.

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

To inform the development of the state health insurance Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, this checklist identifies key coverage, affordability and access issues that are important for women. Based on lessons learned from women’s health research and the Massachusetts experience, the checklist considers essential health benefits, implementation of no-cost preventive services including contraception, provider networks and affordability, outreach and enrollment efforts, and the importance of including gender and other demographic characteristics in data collection and reporting standards. It was jointly authored by policy experts at the Kaiser Family Foundation, The Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Jacobs Institute of Women’s Health at The George Washington University.

 Checklist (.pdf)

Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act will expand Medicaid and create new health insurance exchanges that will significantly increase coverage options for citizens and lawfully present immigrants. This brief provides an overview of health coverage for immigrants today and their new coverage options under health reform.

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

Medicaid is the largest health insurance program in the U.S., covering over 62 million Americans, including millions of the poorest individuals and families in the nation. It also serves as a key source of health care financing and is the dominant source of the country’s long-term care financing. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) expands Medicaid significantly beginning in 2014 and the expanded program is to serve as the foundation of the broader framework created by the ACA to cover millions of previously uninsured low-income adults and children. The Medicaid primer examines how the program is structured, who it covers, what services it provides, how it is financed and how much it costs. It also provides an overview of how Medicaid will change under the health reform law.

Primer (.pdf)

This report, based on structured discussions with a cross-section of Medicaid directors in late October 2012 and survey questions emailed to all 50 states and DC in January 2013, builds on findings from Kaiser’s most recent comprehensive Annual Survey of Medicaid Directors.

Mid-way through FY 2013, more than 3 out of 4 states reported Medicaid spending and enrollment growth at or below original projections.

• A total of 40 states reported that the most recent enrollment growth trend for FY 2013 was about the same or lower than that which was projected at the beginning of FY 2013.
• Consistent with trends in enrollment growth, a total of 39 states reported that their spending trend for FY 2013 was about the same or lower than was projected at the beginning of the fiscal year.
• Only 3 states reported mid-year Medicaid cuts and 4 states reported mid-year policy improvements or program expansions.

Focus group discussions with Medicaid directors show that states are moving ahead on a number of fronts to implement delivery system and payment reforms and develop initiatives to coordinate care for beneficiaries with high health needs.  For example, Oregon is moving ahead with Coordinated Care Organizations to better serve Medicaid enrollees and reduce costs and other states are developing similar models.  Other key reforms include working across payers to improve delivery of care and reduce costs, implementing new payment reforms, developing initiatives for dual eligible beneficiaries, expanding community based long-term care, integrating physical and behavior health services.  The Medicaid director discussion took place in October prior to the elections.  However, states were actively engaged in planning related to major provisions in the ACA.  At the same time, the major concern expressed by states related to how Medicaid might be affected by the discussions at the federal level on how to reduce the deficit and address the fiscal cliff. 

Report (.pdf)

Over 1,100 federally funded community health centers play a vital role in ensuring access to health care for a predominantly low-income population in medically underserved communities. Health centers’ ability to provide comprehensive primary care and improve access to high-quality care while holding down health care cost growth has been well-documented. As health reform spurs coverage expansion and efforts to improve quality, the nation’s reliance on health centers is likely to grow.

In the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Congress invested $11 billion over five years to expand the health center program, to broaden access to care in lower-income communities as coverage expands. As policymakers and others gear up for ACA implementation, understanding the role of health centers and the characteristics of the people they serve is increasingly important. This brief provides a current snapshot of health centers and discusses recent developments that can be expected to have a significant impact on health center growth in the coming years.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

Executive Summary (.pdf)

Related: Medicaid and Community Health Centers: The Relationship Between Coverage for Adults and Primary Care Capacity in Medically Underserved Communities

This brief examines why the number of nonelderly uninsured people in the U.S. declined by 1.2 million in 2011, the latest year for which Census data are available. The analysis finds that the decrease – a reversal of the rise in the uninsured in previous years stemming from the recent recession – was the result of an increase in coverage through public programs such as Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Most of the growth in public coverage, and the attendant reduction in the nonelderly uninsured, was concentrated among adults, while the number of uninsured children was largely unchanged between 2010 and 2011, according to the analysis, authored by researchers at the Urban Institute for the Foundation. The paper includes discussions of trends in coverage by work status, race and ethnicity and region, and of the impact of the Affordable Care Act.

Brief (.pdf)

The Obama administration and a bipartisan group of U.S. senators recently released blueprints for immigration reform proposals that include a roadmap to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. Subject to meeting specified requirements, these individuals would be able to apply for a provisional lawful status. After completing an undefined number of years in this status, an individual would then be allowed to apply for lawful permanent residency and, eventually, United States citizenship. Among the key issues to consider as part of immigration reform is to what extent these aspiring citizens will be able to access affordable health coverage options at various stages on the roadway to citizenship.

 Brief (.pdf)

The Affordable Care Act extended the Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration grant program through 2016, giving states further options to transition Medicaid beneficiaries living in institutions back to the community. Enacted into law in 2006 as part of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), the MFP demonstration provides states with enhanced federal matching funds for twelve months for each Medicaid beneficiary transitioned from an institutional setting to a community-based setting.

A total of 45 states and the District of Columbia have received federal grant money under the program to transition Medicaid individuals living in institutions back into their homes or the community. As of August 2012, 25,000 individuals nationally had been transitioned since the program’s inception, up from 17,000 individuals by 2011. These findings and others in the report are derived from a Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured survey of state MFP programs conducted in August 2012. The latest survey is a follow-up to surveys conducted in 2011, 2010 and 2008.

 Snapshot (.pdf)

Roads to Community Living: A Closer Look at Washington State’s Money Follows the Person Demonstration

Case Study: Michigan’s Money Follows the Person Demonstration

Profiles: Money Follows the Person Medicaid Demonstration Program: Helping People Move Back Home