                     AIDS Daily Summary 
                      June 30, 1995

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National AIDS
Clearinghouse makes available the following information as a public
service only. Providing this information does not constitute endorsement
by the CDC, the CDC Clearinghouse, or any other organization. Reproduction
of this text is encouraged; however, copies may not be sold, and the CDC
Clearinghouse should be cited as the source of this information.
Copyright 1995, Information, Inc., Bethesda, MD


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"Budget Plan Wins Final Hill Approval"
"Across the USA: New York"
"Germany Passes Pension for Victims of HIV-Blood"
"Roberts Meets Star of AIDS Story"
"Webber, Howard, Hill Highlight Pro-Am"
"Viral Load Reimbursement Information from Chiron Reimbursement 
Service"
"Self-Care Burden in Women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus"
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"Budget Plan Wins Final Hill Approval"
Washington Post (06/30/95) P. A1;  Pianin, Eric
     On Thursday, Congress gave final approval to a historic 
seven-year budget plan that is expected to significantly downsize
the federal government, reduce taxes, and eliminate the deficit. 
The plan would provide $245 billion in tax cuts by 2002, while 
cutting $894 billion from Medicare, Medicaid, and almost every 
other major program except defense.  This broad outline of major 
policy changes is not subject to a presidential veto; the real 
battle will begin when congressional committees turn the plan 
into legislation.  Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole (R-Kan.) 
said the plan would put the government on a new path to fiscal 
solvency without, as some claim, "throwing seniors, children, and
the less fortunate out on the streets."  Democratic leaders, 
however, argued that the proposed savings in Medicare, Medicaid, 
and other programs were "too extreme."  More than 60 percent of 
the overall savings would come from Medicare, Medicaid, health 
insurance programs for the elderly and the poor, and other social
welfare programs.  Related Stories: New York Times (06/30) P. A1;
Wall Street Journal (06/30) P. A2
      
"Across the USA: New York"
USA Today (06/30/95) P. 9A
     New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has ended a bill 
requiring mothers to be informed if their newborns test 
HIV-positive, citing similar legislation pending in Congress.  
Currently, infants in the state are tested for the virus that 
causes AIDS, but the results are not given to their mothers.
      
"Germany Passes Pension for Victims of HIV-Blood"
Reuters (06/29/95)
     Germany's Parliament has approved the creation of a $180 million 
pension fund for nearly 2,000 people who became infected with HIV
from unscreened blood during the early 1980s and their 
dependents.  The action was prompted in 1993 when it was revealed
that, in order to save money, firms had failed to screen blood 
donors properly and check blood supplies for HIV for nearly 10 
years.  The primary recipients of the fund are hemophiliacs who 
were dependent on regular doses of blood plasma and were mostly 
infected before the HIV testing of blood products became 
requisite in 1985.  People who contracted HIV from blood products
before 1988 will receive a monthly payment of $1,080, and those 
who have developed full-blown AIDS will be paid $2,160 each 
month.  The relatives of those people who have already died of 
AIDS will receive $720 each month until they are 25, or--if they 
are adults--for five years.
      
"Roberts Meets Star of AIDS Story"
USA Today (06/30/95) P. 2D;  Williams, Jeannie
     Actress Julia Roberts met Thursday with 11-year-old Angelie Diya,
whose story of dealing with AIDS was told in the CBS movie 
"Angelie's Secret."  Roberts narrated the film.  According to the
film's producer, Jonathan Klein, the two "talked about makeup and
hair tips and what it's like to be in the spotlight."
      
"Webber, Howard, Hill Highlight Pro-Am"
Washington Post (06/28/95) P. B5;  Wang, Gene
     This weekend's Say No to Drugs Pro-Am basketball tournament will 
include such players as Chris Webber and Juwan Howard of the 
Washington Bullets and NBA co-rookie of the year Grant Hill.  In 
addition to basketball, the event will also focus on AIDS 
education, drug awareness, and crime prevention through several 
seminars.  "The basketball is to attract the kids," says 
organizer Butch McDowell.  "We want to educate the kids about 
HIV, drug abuse and other issues that affect our youth."  In 
other sports news, this summer marks the first NBA/NBPA High 
School Basketball Camp, held at Princeton University.  The camp 
offers basketball instruction, as well as SAT preparation classes
and AIDS seminars.
      
"Viral Load Reimbursement Information from Chiron Reimbursement 
Service"
AIDS Treatment News (06/16/95) No. 225, P. 1
     Chiron Corp. in Emeryville, Calif.--one of the companies that 
makes a test for the HIV-1 RNA assay, or the "viral load" 
test--has recently opened a reimbursement hotline which may help 
patients and doctors obtain third-party reimbursement for the 
test.  Although the test--which costs about $200--is becoming 
more common in medical practice, it has not yet been officially 
approved for use in managing patients.  Health insurance and 
managed-care plans often refuse to cover it.  According to the 
company, "Chiron Reimbursement Service (CRS) offers assistance 
with benefit verification, appeals of denied or suspended claims,
pre-authorizations of coverage, and insurance payment and policy 
information."  CRS's phone number is (800) 775-7533.
      
"Self-Care Burden in Women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus"
Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (05/95-06/95) 
Vol. 6, No. 3, P. 31;  Anastasio, Charlotte;  McMahan, Therese;  
Daniels, Anne et al.
     Anastasio et al. used Orem's Theory of Self-Care to determine the
perceived demand for universal and health-deviation self-care 
activity in HIV-infected women.  According to Orem, self-care is 
the practice of activities that people initiate and perform for 
themselves to maintain life, health, and well-being.  
HIV-infected women often must deal with racism, sexism, classism,
and lack of empowerment--a combination that can lead to 
isolation.  They do not have the same kind of support network 
that gay men created in response to the AIDS crisis.  For the 
study, researchers recruited a convenience sample of 10 adult 
women from the  immunodeficiency clinic of a large hospital.  The
women ranged from asymptomatic seropositivity to HIV to 
full-blown AIDS as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.  In the health-deviation category, the women rated 
home medical/nursing treatments, special diets, and obtaining 
AIDS-related resources as the most burdensome.  The universal 
self-care tasks that ranked the highest burden scores were caring
for children, physical activity, and work.  Sixty percent 
described themselves as depressed.  Nurses working with women who
have HIV or AIDS should address self-care issues through a 
nurse-client partnership that focuses on a process of assessment,
planning, intervention, and case management, the authors 
conclude.
      
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