WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama should quickly sign a bill extending a program to help 530,000 low-income people living with AIDS or HIV, a doctors group urged.
The bill, known as the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Extension Act of 2009, would provide funding under the Ryan White program for an additional four years.
The Ryan White Care Act, first enacted in 1990, is the nation's largest federally funded program for people living with the human immunodeficiency virus or AIDS and is designed to help low-income patients with insufficient or no insurance.
The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives 408-9 Wednesday.
An identical version passed the U.S. Senate Monday, so the House's approval means the bill authorizing a 5 percent annual increase in funding for the program now awaits Obama's signature.
"We call on the president to quickly sign this legislation to ensure that our patients have access to the care they need," HIV Medicine Association Chairman-Elect Dr. Michael S. Saag said.
The White House said Monday it supported the measure.
Ryan White was a teenager from Kokomo, Ind., who became a U.S. poster child for HIV/AIDS in the 1980s after being expelled from school because of his infection.
A hemophiliac, he became infected with HIV from a contaminated blood treatment and, when diagnosed in 1984, was given six months to live.
Doctors said he posed no risk to other students, but AIDS was poorly understood at the time, and when White tried to return to school, many parents and teachers rallied against his attendance.
White lived five years longer than doctors predicted, dying April 8, 1990, shortly before he would have completed high school.
