POZ | The US HIV population is getting older
A new study indicates that the HIV-positive population in the U.S. is aging, necessitating shifts in healthcare management and Medicare policy. Researchers emphasize that managing age-related comorbidities is becoming as critical as viral suppression for long-term patient care.
Why it matters
The aging HIV population presents a significant future financial and logistical challenge for public health systems.
The median age of people with HIV in the United States is rising, meaning healthcare systems will need to adapt to their evolving needs and cost of care, according to a pair of modeling studies published in JAMA Network Open . One model suggests that reducing the cost of antiretroviral treatment could lead to more than $19 billion in Medicare savings over the next 10 years.
“Aging people with diagnosed HIV have complex and multifaceted health care needs that extend beyond viral suppression,” the authors of one study wrote. “As the population living with HIV ages, local health care systems — as well as the Medicare, Medicaid and Ryan White programs — will need to manage the increasing burden of age-related comorbidities among this population.”
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