Client Information

Using data from Section 2 of the CADR, this section of the report describes the characteristics of CARE Act clients as reported by CARE Act providers (n=2,696) that reported data between January 2002 and December 2002. The client information narrative is based on the data tables presented in this section.

CLIENTS SERVED

In 2002, CARE Act providers served 1,044,172 duplicated clients. Service organizations reported a total of 370,059 duplicated, new clients. Of the total clients served, 844,687 (81 percent) were HIV-positive while 199,485 duplicated clients (19 percent) were HIV-affected3. Among new clients, 256,467 duplicated clients (69 percent) were HIV-positive, and 113,592 (or 31 percent) of duplicated clients were HIV-affected (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Total Duplicated Clients Served, Ryan White CARE Act, 2002 [footnote 3, 4, 5]

GENDER

Overall, 64 percent of clients were male while 33 percent were female. One percent of the clients served in 2002 were transgender. Interestingly, the gender distribution varies by HIV status (positive or affected). Among HIV-positive duplicated clients receiving services by a CARE Act provider, a majority (68 percent) were male and a smaller proportion of clients (31 percent) were female. This is in contrast to the clients that were HIV-affected: 48 percent were male and 42 percent were female (Table 7).

Table 7: Gender, Age, Ethnicity, and Race of Clients Who Received CARE Act Services, 2002 [footnote 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]

AGE

Overall, 55 percent of the clients served in 2002 were in the age group 25 to 44 years while 29 percent were in the age group 45 to 64 years. Findings were similar for HIV-positive clients: 60 percent were in the age group 25 to 44 years while 32 percent of the clients were in the age group 45 to 64 years. The situation was different for HIV-affected clients: 35 percent were in the age group 25 to 44, 18 percent were in age group 45 to 64, and about the same percentage were in the unreported group (17 percent) and in the 13 to 24 age group (16 percent).

ETHNICITY

Twenty percent of all clients served were Hispanic/Latino(a) and 72 percent were non-Hispanic/Latino(a) (Figure 3). Similarly, 20 percent of all HIV-positive clients served were Hispanic/Latino(a) and 75 percent were non-Hispanic/Latino(a). Among HIV-affected clients, 23 percent were Hispanic/Latino(a) and 59 percent were non-Hispanic/Latino(a). Ethnic identity was unknown for a large percentage (19 percent) of HIV-affected clients.

Figure 3. Total Ethnicity, 2002 n = 1,044,172 clients

RACE

For clients overall and among those who were HIV-positive, over 50 percent of the clients served by CARE Act providers were members of racial minority groups6 (Figure 4, page 11). Race was unknown or unreported for a sizeable percentage of clients (Table 7, page 10). Whites comprised approximately 34 percent and 35 percent, respectively, of clients served both overall and among those who were HIV-positive. For clients who were HIV-affected, race was unknown or unreported for a large percentage of clients (26 percent).

HOUSEHOLD INCOME

Overall, the percentage of clients with incomes equal to or below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) was 44 percent (Table 8). Household income status was unknown or unreported for a third of clients. In examining household income by HIV status, 65 percent of HIV-positive clients had household incomes equal to or below FPL or between 101 to 200 percent of the FPL. By contrast, only 22 percent of clients who were HIV-affected had household incomes in the same category. CARE Act providers did not report the household income status for most HIV-affected clients (67 percent).

Figure 4. Total Race, 20021, [footnote 9] n = 1,044,172 clients

Table 8: Household Income and Housing Arrangements for Clients Who Received CARE Act Services, 2002 [footnotes 1, 3, 5, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14]

HOUSING ARRANGEMENTS

Permanent housing arrangements were reported for 49 percent of clients overall and 55 percent among clients who were HIV-positive. Among those who were HIV-positive, 11 percent of the clients receiving services from CARE Act providers in 2002 were living in non-permanent housing. Eight percent of the HIV-affected clients served were non-permanently housed. The housing status was unknown for 57 percent of HIV-affected clients.

HIV/AIDS STATUS

Overall, most clients receiving CARE Act services were recorded in one of three categories: 1) HIV-positive, not AIDS (34 percent); 2) AIDS as defined by CDC (28 percent); or 3) HIV-positive, AIDS unknown (19 percent) (Table 9).

ENROLLMENT STATUS

Among the HIV-positive clients who received CARE Act services in 2002, 59 percent were active and had a history of receiving CARE Act care and treatment services with the CARE Act providers while 24 percent were active and new to the CARE Act provider (Table 9). By contrast, 19 percent of HIV-affected clients were active and continuing in the providers’ programs, 28 percent were active and new to the programs, and 43 percent HIV-affected clients had an unreported or unknown enrollment status.

MEDICAL INSURANCE

Overall, 38 percent of clients receiving services from CARE Act providers were covered by publicly-funded medical insurance, 21 percent of clients had no medical insurance, and 8 percent had private insurance. HIV-positive clients were more likely to be Medicaid recipients (28 percent) or to have no medical insurance (25 percent). Insurance status was unknown or unreported for 30 percent of all clients. A majority of the clients with unknown or unreported medical insurance were HIV-affected (Table 9).

Table 9: Disease Status, Enrollment Status, and Medical Insurance Status for Clients Who Received CARE Act Services, 2002 [footnotes 1, 3, 5, 15, 16]