Federal spending for illness caused by the human immunodeficiency virus

Abstract

Is the federal government devoting sufficient resources to fighting the epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, and are these resources being spent appropriately? Some observers contend that the amounts have been inadequate, but until now there has been no overall accounting of federal activities and spending to combat the epidemic. We report expenditure data collected from federal agencies for the years 1982 to 1989. In all, $5.5 billion will have been spent on HIV-related illness during this period by the federal government, nearly 60 percent of it by the U.S. Public Health Service. Federal spending on HIV-related illness in 1989 will reach $2.2 billion, representing over one third of all estimated national (public and private) HIV expenditures, and tripling state expenditures. In 1992, federal spending on the epidemic will reach an estimated $4.3 billion. Although sizable, this will be just 1.8 percent of all 1992 federal health dollars. Similarly, in 1992, national (public and private) spending on HIV-related illness will consume roughly 1.6 percent of all health-related costs in the United States. Federal spending for HIV research and prevention is similar to funding for other major diseases, including some conditions, such as cancer and heart disease, that now have a greater impact on mortality.