Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 124.djvu/4784

 124 STAT. 4758 PROCLAMATION 8609—NOV. 30, 2010 Proclamation 8609 of November 30, 2010 World AIDS Day, 2010 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation On this World AIDS Day, as we approach the thirtieth year of the HIV/ AIDS pandemic, we reflect on the many Americans and others around the globe lost to this devastating disease, and pledge our support to the 33 million people worldwide who live with HIV/AIDS. We also recom- mit to building on the great strides made in fighting HIV, to preventing the spread of the disease, to continuing our efforts to combat stigma and discrimination, and to finding a cure. Today, we are experiencing a domestic HIV epidemic that demands our attention and leadership. My Administration has invigorated our response to HIV by releasing the first comprehensive National HIV/ AIDS Strategy for the United States. Its vision is an America in which new HIV infections are rare, and when they do occur, all persons—re - gardless of age, gender, race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socio-economic circumstance—will have unfettered access to high-quality, life-extending care. Signifying a renewed level of commitment and urgency, the National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States focuses on comprehensive, evidence-based approaches to preventing HIV in high-risk commu- nities. It strengthens efforts to link and retain people living with HIV into care, and lays out new steps to ensure that the United States has the workforce necessary to serve Americans living with HIV. The Strat- egy also provides a path for reducing HIV-related health disparities by adopting community-level approaches to preventing and treating this disease, including addressing HIV-related discrimination. Along with this landmark Strategy, we have also made significant progress with the health reform law I signed this year, the Affordable Care Act. For far too long, Americans living with HIV and AIDS have endured great difficulties in obtaining adequate health insurance cov- erage and quality care. The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurance companies from using HIV status and other pre-existing conditions as a reason to deny health care coverage to children as of this year, and to all Americans beginning in 2014. To ensure that individuals living with HIV/AIDS can access the care they need, the Affordable Care Act ends lifetime limits and phases out annual limits on coverage. Starting in 2014, it forbids insurance companies from charging higher pre- miums because of HIV status, and introduces tax credits that will make coverage more affordable for all Americans. This landmark law also provides access to insurance coverage through the Pre-Existing Condi- tion Insurance Plan for the uninsured with chronic conditions. Our Government has a role to play in reducing stigma, which is why my Administration eliminated the entry ban that previously barred in- dividuals living with HIV/AIDS from entering the United States. As a result, the 2012 International AIDS Conference will be held in Wash- ington, D.C., the first time this important meeting will be hosted by the United States in over two decades. For more information about our