State-funded medical assistance programs: sources of coverage for HIV-related health care

Preliminary research found that a number of states implement medical assistance programs (MAPs) funded only with state and/or local government funds. A review of the literature was unable to discover any published research that discusses state-funded MAPs. The objective of this article is to describe these MAPs and to discuss how these programs can be used to provide health services to people infected with HIV who lack other coverage. A two-step survey process was used to identify 20 states implementing MAPs and to identify eligibility criteria, the health services covered, and payment-level policies. Typically, MAPs implement restrictive eligibility policies and set low reimbursement levels for the care covered. However, most MAPs cover a comprehensive range of health services needed by people inflected with HIV, including community-based care and support services.