The Ryan White Care AcT
One of the major results of Ryan White taking a stand was the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act which was signed into law on August 18, 1990, just four months after the death of Ryan White. This Act is designed to help HIV/AIDS victims who are not insured or do not have proper access to the medical care and support services that they need. Every year, this program helps more than 50% of all Americans suffering from HIV or AIDS, including people across the United States, District of Colombia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The program is administered by the U.S. Health and Human Services Department and is the HIV/AIDS program with the most federal funding.
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President Barack Obama reauthorizing the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency Act
To find out more about how Ryan White affected the fight against HIV/AIDS and the support for people suffering from the virus, see "RYAN WHITE'S EFFECT ON MEDICAL SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM HIV/AIDS" under "EXTRA RESOURCES."
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It was originally signed into law by President George H.W. Bush and reauthorized by Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. The CARE Act provides funding to states and metropolitan areas "that are the most severely affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic" (Hrsa.gov). It also funds community-based organizations, education and training for HIV/AIDS care providers, psychological therapy to HIV/AIDS victims, and research (Kff.org).
Below is a video of President Barack Obama commending not only Ryan White, but his family, the members of Congress and previous presidents who signed the Ryan White CARE Act before reauthorizing it himself. Obama spoke very passionately of how White was able to not only make the HIV/AIDS epidemic more understood but was also able to prove education regarding the subject was necessary and indirectly led the Congress and President Obama himself to end the travel ban put on people with HIV/AIDS entering the country.
President Obama signing the Ryan White CARE Act on October 30, 2009.