Newsom Pursues Health Care Funding in Washington, D.C.
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom (D) will stump for funding for HIV/AIDS services, expanded access to health care and other issues in meetings with federal officials and members of Congress this week, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The mayor will meet with campaign donors in a stop in New York City before proceeding to Washington, D.C., where he is expected to press for increased federal funds for local programs, including Healthy San Francisco (Knight, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/5). The program seeks to provide access to health care services to all city residents and is expected to cost about $200 million annually (California Healthline, 5/9).
Enrollment for some residents is scheduled to begin in July (California Healthline, 3/21).
In addition, Newsom is expected to lobby for changes to the federal funding formula for services for people with HIV/AIDS (San Francisco Chronicle, 6/5). San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo counties would lose $8.6 million in federal funds annually under the revised formula proposed by President Bush's administration (California Healthline, 5/23).
San Mateo County officials also are entering the fray over funding for HIV/AIDS programs. San Mateo County stands to lose about $2.1 million under the revised formula.
In a May 29 letter, county Board of Supervisors President Rose Jacobs Gibson urged HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt to "rescind the current funding proposal and develop a formula that reflects our region's long-standing commitment to HIV/AIDS treatment" (Gordon, San Mateo County Times, 6/2).