Ryan White Program » Overview

History

Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS following a blood transfusion in December 1984. He was diagnosed at age 13 while living in Komono, Indiana, and was given six months to live. When Ryan White tried to return to school, he fought AIDS-related discrimination in his Indiana community. Along with his mother Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White rallied for his right to attend school. His efforts gained national attention, and he became the face in educating the public about his disease. Ryan White died in April 1990, one month before his high school graduation and only months before Congress passed the legislation bearing his name in August 1990, the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. Learn more about the history of the Ryan White CARE Act.

Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act

The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act was first enacted in 1990 and has been reauthorized four times—first in 1996 and again in 2000, 2006, and 2009. The Act is divided into five parts, each designed to address a specific component or aspect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The federal agency responsible for implementing and managing Ryan White CARE Act programs is the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Since its enactment, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program has created exemplary models of community-based care for people living with HIV/AIDS that have kept thousands of individuals alive and thriving.

Part A »

Provides emergency relief through funding for health care and support services to the 52 eligible metropolitan areas (EMAs) and transitional grant areas (TGAs) disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS.

Part B »

Assists states and territories in improving the quality, availability, and organization of health care and support services for individuals and families with HIV disease, and provides access to pharmaceuticals through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

Part C »

Provides support directly to community-based providers for early intervention and primary care services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Part D »

Enhances access to comprehensive care and research of potential clinical benefit for children, youth, women, and their families with or at risk for HIV.

Part F

Part F provides grant funding that supports several research, technical assistance, and access-to-care programs. These programs include:

• The Special Projects of National Significance Program supports the demonstration and evaluation of innovative models of care delivery for hard-to-reach populations.
• The AIDS Education and Training Centers (AETC) Program supports the education and training of health care providers treating people living with HIV through a network of eight regional centers and three national centers.
• The Dental Programs provide additional funding for oral health care for people with HIV through the HIV/AIDS Dental Reimbursement Program and the Community-Based Dental Partnership Program.
• The Minority AIDS Initiative provides funding to evaluate and address the impact of HIV/AIDS on disproportionately affected minority populations.