Only 23 states cover routine HIV screening under their Medicaid programs, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) report. Medicaid is the largest provider of coverage and care for people with HIV/AIDS in the United States. In 2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that all public and private health providers offer routine HIV screening for people between the ages of 13 and 64. Since routine screening is an optional Medicaid benefit, many states have chosen not to cover it and instead only provide HIV screening when it is “medically necessary.” HIV groups say that when routine screening is not covered by insurance, health care providers often disregard the CDC recommendation, which then limits HIV testing. The KFF report estimates that the majority of undiagnosed HIV cases reside in states whose Medicaid programs cover only “medically necessary” HIV screening.

To read the KFF report, click here.