The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) is a cornerstone of HIV care in the United States, providing life-saving services to people living with HIV (PLWH) in communities across the country. 

Recently, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released a proposal to update how Ryan White Part A and Part B funding is allocated, shifting from using a person’s location at the time of HIV diagnosis to their most recent address. This change reflects improvements in HIV surveillance data and aims to better align resources with where people currently live and receive care. 

NMAC submitted formal comments in response to HRSA’s proposal, supporting the goal of modernizing the funding formula while emphasizing the need to protect care continuity and advance equity. Any change to Ryan White funding must ensure that communities most impacted by HIV are not destabilized in the process and that the HIV care systems remains strong during the transition. 

NMAC’s comments support the shift to using most recent address data while urging HRSA to implement the change through a thoughtful, phased approach that minimizes disruption to care. We also emphasize the importance of technical assistance for jurisdictions experiencing funding shifts, close monitoring of impacts on access to medications and services, and careful consideration of how these changes may affect Ending the HIV Epidemic jurisdictions and communities already facing structural barriers to care. Modernizing RWHAP must strengthen, not weaken, the systems that PLWH rely on every day.  

NMAC will continue to fight for consistent improvements to the Ryan White Program through both congressional or administrative mechanisms. 

Read NMAC’s full submission to HRSA here.

Cecelia Thomas is Chief Policy Officer for NMAC.