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Via Workers World News Service
Reprinted from the Dec. 18, 1997
issue of Workers World newspaper
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Editorial: AIDS drugs for the poor — Clinton just says no

Do poor people who are HIV-positive have a right to the best medical treatment? No, says President Bill Clinton. On Dec. 5 the White House announced it was dropping plans to extend Medicaid coverage to pay for the new drugs that have been effective in blocking HIV-positive people from developing full-blown AIDS. Why can’t poor people with HIV get the medicines? Because there would be no way to provide Medicaid coverage without increasing Medicaid spending.

So what? Medicaid spending should be increased—vastly. Take it from the over $600 billion in tax money going to military-related spending in the 1998 budget. Or the $150 billion in "corporate welfare"—various kinds of handouts and tax breaks for the rich.

If the sight of Clinton giving money to the military-industrial complex while withholding it from impoverished people with HIV gives you a sick feeling, you’re not alone. Clinton’s own AIDS advisory panel feels the same way. Two days after the Medicaid announcement, the AIDS panel issued a report blasting the president for "failing to provide bold leadership" and for creating "a sense of diminished priority for AIDS issues." The panel specifically slammed the Clinton administration for refusing to expand Medicaid AIDS coverage.

In fact, pretty much everyone except the health-care-for-profit industry and its hired help in government disagrees with the Medicaid ban. On Dec. 4 the Kaiser Family Foundation released the results of a survey showing that a strong majority of people believe the federal government should spend more money on AIDS prevention and treatment. Most people also answered "yes" when asked if the government should increase funding in order to help low-income people pay for HIV drugs.

The occupant of the White House portrays himself as a sensitive, caring friend of the people. In fact he, like his cohorts in the capitalist government, is a criminal with blood on his hands.

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