Expand CDCThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety, and security threats. CDC provides leadership in helping control the HIV epidemic by working with community, state, national, and international partners in surveillance, research, testing, prevention, and evaluation activities, as well as by working to improve treatment and support for people with HIV.
Within CDC, the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) leads its HIV activities. NCHHSTP’s Division of HIV Prevention is charged with the mission of preventing HIV infection and reducing the incidence of HIV-related illness and death.
While CDC does not deliver HIV care and treatment services, it conducts and supports numerous activities related to HIV care and treatment, including:
- Providing immediate – ideally same-day – linkage to care for people with newly diagnosed HIV.
- Expanding health department-led “Data to Care” programs that identify and follow up with people diagnosed with HIV who are not receiving care.
- Providing behavioral interventions and other support to help people with HIV stay in care and adhere to treatment, and to help providers engage people with HIV in ongoing care.
- Supporting public awareness campaigns, like Let’s Stop HIV Together, which encourages people with HIV to get in care, stay in care and live well.
- Conducting a comprehensive program of HIV surveillance to collect, analyze, and disseminate data on HIV infection that supports monitoring trends at the state and national levels as well as the impact of national strategies on decreasing HIV incidence, improving linkage to care, and reducing disparities.
View CDC’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
CDC is one of the HHS partners supporting the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. Read about their EHE activities.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ensures effective, up-to-date health care coverage and promotes quality care for beneficiaries. CMS is the largest payer for the healthcare coverage of low-income people with HIV in the United States.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, including some low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. States manage the Medicaid program, and each state decides who is eligible and what the program covers. Some states have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover all people below certain income levels. Medicaid is currently the biggest source of insurance coverage for people with HIV.
Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease. It accounts for approximately one-quarter of federal spending on HIV/AIDS care in the U.S. and is an important source of coverage for people with HIV. All Medicare drug plans cover all HIV medications.
CMS is also charged with helping implement many reforms of the Affordable Care Act, the law that was passed to help ensure that Americans have secure, stable, and affordable health insurance. The ACA helped expand access to coverage for people with HIV and other chronic health conditions. It also expanded access to no-cost preventive services for people with health coverage, including HIV screening and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.
View CMS’s HIV/AIDS resources.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. Within the DoD, the Military Health System weaves together health care delivery, medical education, public health, private sector partnerships, and cutting-edge medical research and development. All DoD beneficiaries served by the Military Health System have access to quality HIV care and treatment and support to attain the best possible outcome in with HIV. DoD HIV clinical services are consistent with national guidelines and include comprehensive screening, surveillance, health education, and treatment with antiretroviral therapy. In addition, the Military Health System has many patient-centered care initiatives such as complex care coordination and patient-centered medical homes, which help improve the health and well-being of all beneficiaries, including individuals with HIV.
View DoD’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
ED’s Rehabilitation Services Administration supports the development and implementation of comprehensive and coordinated state programs of vocational rehabilitation and supported employment for individuals with disabilities, including people living with HIV, through services, training and economic opportunities, in order to maximize their employability, independence and integration into the workplace and the community. RSA works to facilitate nationwide HIV prevention training for state vocational rehabilitation and special education programs.
Learn more about ED’s programs and projects to serve individuals with disabilities.
View ED's activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, works 24/7 to protect America from health, safety, and security threats. CDC provides leadership in helping control the HIV epidemic by working with community, state, national, and international partners in surveillance, research, testing, prevention, and evaluation activities, as well as by working to improve treatment and support for people with HIV.
Within CDC, the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP) leads its HIV activities. NCHHSTP’s Division of HIV Prevention is charged with the mission of preventing HIV infection and reducing the incidence of HIV-related illness and death.
While CDC does not deliver HIV care and treatment services, it conducts and supports numerous activities related to HIV care and treatment, including:
- Providing immediate – ideally same-day – linkage to care for people with newly diagnosed HIV.
- Expanding health department-led “Data to Care” programs that identify and follow up with people diagnosed with HIV who are not receiving care.
- Providing behavioral interventions and other support to help people with HIV stay in care and adhere to treatment, and to help providers engage people with HIV in ongoing care.
- Supporting public awareness campaigns, like Let’s Stop HIV Together, which encourages people with HIV to get in care, stay in care and live well.
- Conducting a comprehensive program of HIV surveillance to collect, analyze, and disseminate data on HIV infection that supports monitoring trends at the state and national levels as well as the impact of national strategies on decreasing HIV incidence, improving linkage to care, and reducing disparities.
View CDC’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
CDC is one of the HHS partners supporting the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. Read about their EHE activities.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, ensures effective, up-to-date health care coverage and promotes quality care for beneficiaries. CMS is the largest payer for the healthcare coverage of low-income people with HIV in the United States.
Medicaid is a joint federal and state program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to millions of Americans, including some low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. States manage the Medicaid program, and each state decides who is eligible and what the program covers. Some states have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover all people below certain income levels. Medicaid is currently the biggest source of insurance coverage for people with HIV.
Medicare is a health insurance program for people age 65 or older, people under age 65 with certain disabilities, and people of all ages with End-Stage Renal Disease. It accounts for approximately one-quarter of federal spending on HIV/AIDS care in the U.S. and is an important source of coverage for people with HIV. All Medicare drug plans cover all HIV medications.
CMS is also charged with helping implement many reforms of the Affordable Care Act, the law that was passed to help ensure that Americans have secure, stable, and affordable health insurance. The ACA helped expand access to coverage for people with HIV and other chronic health conditions. It also expanded access to no-cost preventive services for people with health coverage, including HIV screening and HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis.
View CMS’s HIV/AIDS resources.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is to provide the military forces needed to deter war and to protect the security of our country. Within the DoD, the Military Health System weaves together health care delivery, medical education, public health, private sector partnerships, and cutting-edge medical research and development. All DoD beneficiaries served by the Military Health System have access to quality HIV care and treatment and support to attain the best possible outcome in with HIV. DoD HIV clinical services are consistent with national guidelines and include comprehensive screening, surveillance, health education, and treatment with antiretroviral therapy. In addition, the Military Health System has many patient-centered care initiatives such as complex care coordination and patient-centered medical homes, which help improve the health and well-being of all beneficiaries, including individuals with HIV.
View DoD’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
U.S. Department of Education
The U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.
ED’s Rehabilitation Services Administration supports the development and implementation of comprehensive and coordinated state programs of vocational rehabilitation and supported employment for individuals with disabilities, including people living with HIV, through services, training and economic opportunities, in order to maximize their employability, independence and integration into the workplace and the community. RSA works to facilitate nationwide HIV prevention training for state vocational rehabilitation and special education programs.
Learn more about ED’s programs and projects to serve individuals with disabilities.
View ED's activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products, and medical devices. FDA is also responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
While FDA doesn’t deliver or pay for HIV care, it plays a vital role in making HIV treatment possible. FDA responsibilities include playing a review and oversight role related to drugs, biologics, and medical devices for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and AIDS-related conditions. This includes assuring that diagnostic and screening tests for HIV are sensitive and specific for the detection and/or quantification of HIV in blood and other body fluids, and conducting regulatory research to establish product standards and develop improved testing methods to assess the safety of drugs and biologics. FDA also oversees the nation’s blood supply, to ensure that blood and blood products are as safe as possible, and oversees the development of vaccines, including those being studied to prevent HIV infection.
Learn more about FDA’s role in the oversight and review of HIV treatment/therapeutic products.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary federal agency for improving health and achieving health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative programs. HRSA's programs provide health care to people who are geographically isolated, and economically or medically vulnerable.
HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). For more than 30 years, the RWHAP has played a vital role in the public health response to HIV. The RWHAP is the largest federal program solely focused on providing HIV care, treatment, and support services to people with HIV and those affected by HIV. Find a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Medical Care Provider.
The Program awards grants to cities, states, counties, and local community-based groups to provide HIV care and treatment services to more than half a million people each year. RWHAP funds also support technical assistance, education and training for health care professionals, and the development of innovative models of HIV care.
HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) funds a network of Health Centers in every state that provide high quality preventive and primary health care to patients in underserved communities, regardless of their ability to pay. Approximately 1 in 11 people in the U.S. rely on a HRSA-funded health center for medical care. HRSA Health Centers provide a full range of services to promote health and diagnose and treat disease. All Health Centers offer HIV testing. Some patients with HIV receive treatment and care at the Center itself, while others are referred to HIV specialists. Find a HRSA Health Center.
HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) improves the health of underserved and vulnerable populations by strengthening the health workforce and connecting skilled professionals to communities in need.
View HRSA’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
HRSA is one of the HHS partners supporting the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. Read about their EHE activities.
The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD works to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing manages the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. The HOPWA program is the only Federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people with HIV/AIDS and their families. Under the HOPWA Program, HUD makes grants to local communities, states, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. With safe, affordable, decent housing, people with HIV/AIDS are better able to access comprehensive health care and supportive services, access HIV treatment, take their HV medication consistently, and see their health care provider regularly.
As part of their ongoing efforts to support people with HIV, HUD also collaborated with the Department of Labor to launch Getting to Work, a training curriculum to assist service providers in understanding HIV/AIDS in the context of employment and the different approaches to helping clients who are ready to work identify and achieve their related goals.
View HUD’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service (IHS) is responsible for providing comprehensive federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level.
IHS’ National HIV/AIDS Program coordinates and promotes HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment activities specific to AI/AN people as part of a comprehensive public health approach. The goals of the HIV/AIDS Program are to prevent further spread of HIV and to improve health outcomes for those already living with HIV. The program’s efforts include providing medical care to eligible beneficiaries, increasing access to care, and improving health outcomes for people living with HIV and AIDS. The program also provides technical assistance to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs.
Learn more about IHS' HIV/AIDS Program.
View IHS' activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products, and medical devices. FDA is also responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.
While FDA doesn’t deliver or pay for HIV care, it plays a vital role in making HIV treatment possible. FDA responsibilities include playing a review and oversight role related to drugs, biologics, and medical devices for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV/AIDS, and AIDS-related conditions. This includes assuring that diagnostic and screening tests for HIV are sensitive and specific for the detection and/or quantification of HIV in blood and other body fluids, and conducting regulatory research to establish product standards and develop improved testing methods to assess the safety of drugs and biologics. FDA also oversees the nation’s blood supply, to ensure that blood and blood products are as safe as possible, and oversees the development of vaccines, including those being studied to prevent HIV infection.
Learn more about FDA’s role in the oversight and review of HIV treatment/therapeutic products.
Health Resources and Services Administration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is the primary federal agency for improving health and achieving health equity through access to quality services, a skilled health workforce, and innovative programs. HRSA's programs provide health care to people who are geographically isolated, and economically or medically vulnerable.
HRSA’s HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) administers the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). For more than 30 years, the RWHAP has played a vital role in the public health response to HIV. The RWHAP is the largest federal program solely focused on providing HIV care, treatment, and support services to people with HIV and those affected by HIV. Find a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Medical Care Provider.
The Program awards grants to cities, states, counties, and local community-based groups to provide HIV care and treatment services to more than half a million people each year. RWHAP funds also support technical assistance, education and training for health care professionals, and the development of innovative models of HIV care.
HRSA’s Bureau of Primary Health Care (BPHC) funds a network of Health Centers in every state that provide high quality preventive and primary health care to patients in underserved communities, regardless of their ability to pay. Approximately 1 in 11 people in the U.S. rely on a HRSA-funded health center for medical care. HRSA Health Centers provide a full range of services to promote health and diagnose and treat disease. All Health Centers offer HIV testing. Some patients with HIV receive treatment and care at the Center itself, while others are referred to HIV specialists. Find a HRSA Health Center.
HRSA’s Bureau of Health Workforce (BHW) improves the health of underserved and vulnerable populations by strengthening the health workforce and connecting skilled professionals to communities in need.
View HRSA’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
HRSA is one of the HHS partners supporting the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. Read about their EHE activities.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
The mission of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD works to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes; utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business.
HUD’s Office of HIV/AIDS Housing manages the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS (HOPWA) program. The HOPWA program is the only Federal program dedicated to the housing needs of people with HIV/AIDS and their families. Under the HOPWA Program, HUD makes grants to local communities, states, and nonprofit organizations for projects that benefit low-income persons with HIV/AIDS and their families. With safe, affordable, decent housing, people with HIV/AIDS are better able to access comprehensive health care and supportive services, access HIV treatment, take their HV medication consistently, and see their health care provider regularly.
As part of their ongoing efforts to support people with HIV, HUD also collaborated with the Department of Labor to launch Getting to Work, a training curriculum to assist service providers in understanding HIV/AIDS in the context of employment and the different approaches to helping clients who are ready to work identify and achieve their related goals.
View HUD’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Indian Health Service (IHS) is responsible for providing comprehensive federal health services to American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). IHS is the principal federal health care provider and health advocate for Indian people, and its goal is to raise their health status to the highest possible level.
IHS’ National HIV/AIDS Program coordinates and promotes HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment activities specific to AI/AN people as part of a comprehensive public health approach. The goals of the HIV/AIDS Program are to prevent further spread of HIV and to improve health outcomes for those already living with HIV. The program’s efforts include providing medical care to eligible beneficiaries, increasing access to care, and improving health outcomes for people living with HIV and AIDS. The program also provides technical assistance to Indian Tribes, Tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations regarding HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment programs.
Learn more about IHS' HIV/AIDS Program.
View IHS' activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency—making important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH-funded scientists investigate ways to prevent disease and conduct research on both common and rare diseases to discover their causes, develop effective treatments, and find cures. NIH represents the largest and most significant public investment in HIV/AIDS research in the world. Almost all of the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) conduct and support basic, clinical, behavioral, social science, and translational research that addresses the prevention and treatment of HIV disease and its associated coinfections, comorbidities, and other complications.
NIH’s Office of AIDS Research (OAR) coordinates the scientific, budgetary, legislative, and policy elements of the trans-NIH HIV/AIDS-related research program. OAR a component of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the NIH Director, supports the development of up-to-date HHS guidelines for the treatment of HIV infection, and the prevention and treatment of HIV-associated opportunistic infections. The guidelines are developed and regularly updated by working groups of HIV experts from across the country, including physicians, other health care clinical providers, pharmacists, researchers, and HIV treatment advocates. These clinical guidelines outline the current science and recommendations for treatment of HIV disease (e.g., antiretroviral therapy, treatment, and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections) as well as guidelines for conducting HIV testing and counseling.
The expert working groups are under the auspices of the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council and develop HIV guidelines for:
Learn more about NIH’s HIV/AIDS Research Program.
Learn more about NIH’s role in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
The mission of the Social Security Administration (SSA) is to deliver Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public. This includes the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which is designed to provide financial support for people with disabilities and low income and resources. It also includes the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, which provides benefits for people with disabilities who meet insured status by accruing a specified number of work credits through their payroll tax contributions. So while SSA does not provide or pay for HIV treatment services, some people with HIV/AIDS who cannot work may qualify for disability benefits from SSA. These benefits can help support an individual who is disabled by HIV/AIDS and help him or her remain in HIV care and on treatment.
The agency provides guidance to people living with HIV/AIDS and health professionals on Social Security programs that pertain to them and how to access them. On World AIDS Day 2OI6, SSA published a final rule revising HIV medical criteria for SSA’s disability determination. This is the first revision to the regulation since it was created in 1993. The final rules will remain in effect for three years.
Learn more about SSA.
View SSA's activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) serves and honors America’s Veterans. VA is the largest single provider of medical care to people with HIV in the United States. VA's efforts in this area are led by the HIV, Hepatitis, and Related Conditions Programs, under the direction of the Specialty Care Program Office, whose mission is to provide the highest quality, comprehensive care to Veterans and to have that care recognized as the standard by which all health care in the United States is measured. This includes patient care activities, clinician and patient education, prevention activities, and research directed at continuous improvement of medical and preventive services and delivery of care to Veterans.
VA’s HIV efforts, carried out by VA medical facilities across the country, take a comprehensive approach that includes:
- Screening for risk of HIV infection
- Testing for those at risk
- Education for patients and their families
- Giving providers access to the best available information about HIV
- Excellence in clinical care
- Support for research to improve clinical care
- Ongoing quality improvement
View VA’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation’s medical research agency—making important medical discoveries that improve health and save lives. NIH-funded scientists investigate ways to prevent disease and conduct research on both common and rare diseases to discover their causes, develop effective treatments, and find cures. NIH represents the largest and most significant public investment in HIV/AIDS research in the world. Almost all of the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) conduct and support basic, clinical, behavioral, social science, and translational research that addresses the prevention and treatment of HIV disease and its associated coinfections, comorbidities, and other complications.
NIH’s Office of AIDS Research (OAR) coordinates the scientific, budgetary, legislative, and policy elements of the trans-NIH HIV/AIDS-related research program. OAR a component of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives in the Office of the NIH Director, supports the development of up-to-date HHS guidelines for the treatment of HIV infection, and the prevention and treatment of HIV-associated opportunistic infections. The guidelines are developed and regularly updated by working groups of HIV experts from across the country, including physicians, other health care clinical providers, pharmacists, researchers, and HIV treatment advocates. These clinical guidelines outline the current science and recommendations for treatment of HIV disease (e.g., antiretroviral therapy, treatment, and prophylaxis for opportunistic infections) as well as guidelines for conducting HIV testing and counseling.
The expert working groups are under the auspices of the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council and develop HIV guidelines for:
Learn more about NIH’s HIV/AIDS Research Program.
Learn more about NIH’s role in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
Social Security Administration
The mission of the Social Security Administration (SSA) is to deliver Social Security services that meet the changing needs of the public. This includes the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, which is designed to provide financial support for people with disabilities and low income and resources. It also includes the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) program, which provides benefits for people with disabilities who meet insured status by accruing a specified number of work credits through their payroll tax contributions. So while SSA does not provide or pay for HIV treatment services, some people with HIV/AIDS who cannot work may qualify for disability benefits from SSA. These benefits can help support an individual who is disabled by HIV/AIDS and help him or her remain in HIV care and on treatment.
The agency provides guidance to people living with HIV/AIDS and health professionals on Social Security programs that pertain to them and how to access them. On World AIDS Day 2OI6, SSA published a final rule revising HIV medical criteria for SSA’s disability determination. This is the first revision to the regulation since it was created in 1993. The final rules will remain in effect for three years.
Learn more about SSA.
View SSA's activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Action Plan.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities.
While SAMHSA does not deliver or pay for HIV treatment, it works to ensure that individuals who are at high risk for or who have mental health and/or substance use disorders and who are at risk for or are with HIV/AIDS have access to and receive appropriate behavioral health services, which better enable them to remain in ongoing HIV care and adhere to their HIV treatment plan. Many of its programs also support HIV testing and linkage to care for individuals diagnosed. In addition, many SAMHSA-funded grants support substance use treatment and HIV- and AIDS-related services for racial and ethnic minorities and other populations at high risk for HIV infection, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals.
View SAMHSA’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
SAMHSA is one of the HHS partners supporting the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. (EHE) initiative. Learn more.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) serves and honors America’s Veterans. VA is the largest single provider of medical care to people with HIV in the United States. VA's efforts in this area are led by the HIV, Hepatitis, and Related Conditions Programs, under the direction of the Specialty Care Program Office, whose mission is to provide the highest quality, comprehensive care to Veterans and to have that care recognized as the standard by which all health care in the United States is measured. This includes patient care activities, clinician and patient education, prevention activities, and research directed at continuous improvement of medical and preventive services and delivery of care to Veterans.
VA’s HIV efforts, carried out by VA medical facilities across the country, take a comprehensive approach that includes:
- Screening for risk of HIV infection
- Testing for those at risk
- Education for patients and their families
- Giving providers access to the best available information about HIV
- Excellence in clinical care
- Support for research to improve clinical care
- Ongoing quality improvement
View VA’s activities in the National HIV/AIDS Strategy Federal Implementation Plan.
