POZ Community Forums
Meds, Mind, Body & Benefits => Insurance, Benefits Programs & HIV => Topic started by: leopoz93 on March 15, 2014, 09:11:14 am
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Now im 20 years and newly diagnosed with HIV...now i know whith HASA you have to be AIDS diagnosed with a t cell count below 200.
But i also know that if you have had an opportunistic infection like shingles(herpes zoster) you are eligible. And that all you will nees to do is get your doctor to fill out a M-11Q amd take it to the HASA office and they will put you on emergency benefits.
Im just asking cause i applied for a housing lottery months ago and my application got picked for a interview and i really need to pass this interview cause right now im somewhat homeless
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When did shingles become an opportunistic infection for HIV?
Regardless, when I utilized HASA briefly you had to fully document <200 cd4 count and I had to dig back a decade to prove this, and since the document pre-dated the computerized era I was lucky that I'd kept copies of my first year's lab works in a file.
If I were you I would go through the GMHC Client Advocacy Unit before applying to HASA directly just so you have the latest information.
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Shingles(herpes zoser) is a opportunistic infection
When i get in touch with GMHC what wil they specifically do?
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Shingles(herpes zoser) is a opportunistic infection
Not really, not when you're talking about OIs that are considered to be "aids-defining" and are used to qualify for assistance programs.
ANYONE can get shingles, provided they've had chicken pox at some prior point in their life. It's not, by any stretch of the imagination, an "aids-defining" type of OI.
OIs that are considered "aids-defining" are ones like AIDS Dementia Complex (ADC), Pneumocystis Pneumonia (PCP), Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC), Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), and Cytomegalovirus (CMV), to name a few.
If you approach an ASO and try to claim shingles as an OI that would grant you extra assistance, they'd probably laugh you out of the room. Not that I'm laughing, I'm just trying to point out that shingles just doesn't cut it, not by a huge margin.
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When i get in touch with GMHC what wil they specifically do?
They will evaluate you with a case manager and see what kind of assistance, like HASA, you might qualify for.
Just a note -- having an HIV diagnosis doesn't mean you qualify for anything. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
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Shingles(herpes zoser) is a opportunistic infection
When i get in touch with GMHC what wil they specifically do?
The CDC developed a list of more than 20 OIs that are considered AIDS-defining conditions—if you have HIV and one or more of these OIs, you will be diagnosed with AIDS, no matter what your CD4 count happens to be:
•Candidiasis of bronchi, trachea, esophagus, or lungs
•Invasive cervical cancer
•Coccidioidomycosis
•Cryptococcosis
•Cryptosporidiosis, chronic intestinal (greater than 1 month's duration)
•Cytomegalovirus disease (particularly CMV retinitis)
•Encephalopathy, HIV-related
•Herpes simplex: chronic ulcer(s) (greater than 1 month's duration); or bronchitis, pneumonitis, or esophagitis
•Histoplasmosis
•Isosporiasis, chronic intestinal (greater than 1 month's duration)
•Kaposi's sarcomav
•Lymphoma, multiple forms
•Mycobacterium avium complex
•Tuberculosis
•Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia
•Pneumonia, recurrent
•Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
•Salmonella septicemia, recurrent
•Toxoplasmosis of brain
•Wasting syndrome due to HIV
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I did some sleuthing around -- first, for those that have not lived with HIV/AIDS in NYC HASA is a city program and need not follow CDC criteria if it does not wish to, it's not federally funded as far as I know.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/hra/html/services/hasa.shtml
Second, it's not the M11Q form you need, it's the SSA4814-Adult form (http://www.nyc.gov/html/hra/downloads/pdf/services/hasa/ssa_4814_f5.pdf) you need (this is why I recommend going through a case manager at GMHC or some other AIDS service organization)
Third, you don't fill it out a medical person (doctor, nurse, qualified staff etc.) does. The patient will only sign a medical release form. They term medical qualifications specifically as not just opportunistic infections but also "indicator diseases" and, for example, shingles/herpes zoster (#19) will ONLY qualify if it's resistant to treatment.
Now seriously, you were diagnosed a week and a half ago -- you honestly think you're going to qualify for free rent unless you're laid up in a hospital for a month? You don't even know what your initial lab numbers are yet do you? We are all sorry you find yourself newly diagnosed and without a stable living condition but just because you had shingles (in the past) isn't going to fly with this program.
As far as I can recall, HASA's main intent is to keep people with a roof over their head while they are waiting approval of SSDI because even with NYS's "expedited" applications for HIV it will take several months.
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Apparently you must not be from NYC -- I'm not being nasty here.
Times have changed and it's hard to qualify for certain benefits and/or entitlements these days for the mere fact that medications have improved so that pozzies rarely have to deal with OIs these days. Therefore most people who rely on HASA are long-term or people who managed to qualify before the definition of AIDS was modified due to people now having a "chronic, manageable condition" and not a death sentence thanks to the new, improved regimens.
Also, just because you qualified for an interview in the lottery doesn't guarantee that you will even get the apartment because you still have to provide documentation to prove everything you tell them and then they will have to verify everything. And it doesn't happen overnight.
Like Philicia suggested you need to contact GMHC or Housing Works (http://housingworks.org/heal/housing-resources/) for some guidance. At least with Housing Works, they have housing available. And even with HASA, you have to get a referral to an ASO/CBO which has housing in order to get something that isn't an emergency placement to an SRO -- so you won't be magically getting an apartment overnight. So, an organization like Housing Works might be a little more sympathetic to your plight and may be able to help you with a temporary placement before HASA can get you in, because you really do NOT want to be in an SRO.
PS: Philicia is right in saying that HASA is a City agency which is under the umbrella of the Human Resources Administration. All agencies in NYC only answer to the Mayor and no one else, so they can do whatever they want. Many times is it possible to see specific rules and regulations in print which these agencies are "governed" by but often times, they don't even follow their own rules. And for the last 12 years, HASA was low on the totem pole on Gloomberg's agenda. If he'd have had his way, it would've been abolished completely. Now that there's a new sheriff in town, I think that HASA will be held accountable in assisting the population they were set up to help. We'll see what happens.
You really need to go speak to someone so that you can get your facts straight, otherwise you're gonna be in for a rude awakening. Living poz is hard, so get ready. Even in NYC, it's not always easy.
They will evaluate you with a case manager and see what kind of assistance, like HASA, you might qualify for.
Just a note -- having an HIV diagnosis doesn't mean you qualify for anything. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn't.
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Lol ok here we go....i never said that this was going to happen overnight and ms phillicia i never saud i was in a hospital laying up waiting for free rent... 0_0 i specifically asked for advice with in regards on how to get around hasa to be eligible... and you are absolutely right i dont shit all i know is that i am HIV PPOSITIVE...But come monday morning bloodwork will be done so i will knw otherwise
And to solo ltsurvivor you are absolutely correct im not from here...im a college student at pace university who is unemployed and was just diagnosed and clueless on what the fuck im going to do when the semester is over...and shit forget the semester im worried period!
And in conclusion being that i know in the youngest on this specific thread that i posted and i knowjust by reading you guys responses that you guys are a lil older
iIF YOU AINT GOT NOTHING GOOD TO SAY DONT SAY IT ALL
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Lol ok here we go....i never said that this was going to happen overnight and ms phillicia i never saud i was in a hospital laying up waiting for free rent... 0_0 i specifically asked for advice with in regards on how to get around hasa to be eligible... and you are absolutely right i dont shit all i know is that i am HIV PPOSITIVE...But come monday morning bloodwork will be done so i will knw otherwise
And to solo ltsurvivor you are absolutely correct im not from here...im a college student at pace university who is unemployed and was just diagnosed and clueless on what the fuck im going to do when the semester is over...and shit forget the semester im worried period!
And in conclusion being that i know in the youngest on this specific thread that i posted and i knowjust by reading you guys responses that you guys are a lil older
iIF YOU AINT GOT NOTHING GOOD TO SAY DONT SAY IT ALL
Why the attitude ... they have all offered some really good advise and did nothing to warrant your response . Do you think maybe you are being overly sensitive due to the stress of the situation and reading a tone in to the reply's that may not be there . You are among people who care and want to help so please don't get too upset when people offer advise that may not be what you want to hear at the time .
Im wishing you the best of luck and a sincere welcome to the forums .
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And in conclusion being that i know in the youngest on this specific thread that i posted and i knowjust by reading you guys responses that you guys are a lil older
iIF YOU AINT GOT NOTHING GOOD TO SAY DONT SAY IT ALL
Well good luck in finding some 20-somethings who know all about maneuvering through the system in order to get the help you need. I'm sure you can find them on every corner in Chelsea pouring the T on how to gain the system and get that free apartment. With that outlook and attitude, I don't think you're gonna get any advice from seasoned veterans here who know information about the very things you're seeking to learn.
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Solo ... that is rather harsh to a guy who is still reeling with just testing poz .
Lets all take a deep breath and hit the reset button in this thread and not take any more swipes at one another .
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Hey look i apologize im just a lil frustrated thats all...this is all new to me and every since i found out my diagnosis i just trying to wrap my head around all this...im sorry
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Hey look i apologize im just a lil frustrated thats all...this is all new to me and every since i found out my diagnosis i just trying to wrap my head around all this...im sorry
We all have our days, that's a fact LOL . I can promise you it does get better in time . I am not special and I have managed to live 30 + years with HIV so if I can do it you can too .
You have a long life ahead of you and once you adjust to being HIV poz you should plan on living a normal life span . I would continue on with whatever your plans where before you tested poz whether it be college or pursuing a career or whatever your heart desires .
One thing I wish I had done when I was you age is plan to be an old man some day .
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Hey Leo,
I am another older pozzy here and I no nothing about HASA. Just wanted to welcome you to the forums and hoping you find housing.
m.
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Hi there guys,
I have been on Hasa I was diagnosed with aids 2006, spent weeks in the hospital with kidney failure and pulmonary embolism. Hasa help me to apply for SSDI in 2009 due to more complications. Now 5 years later I have been asked to leave the house of my partner of 10 years due to my medical limitations and he can't take care of me due to this. I understand him he's 20 years younger and need to start his own life he is hiv-. I contacted Hasa and they can't help me with my own place, I can line up for a shelter place in the afternoon. Please don't think you as newly diagnosed will just walk in there with shingles and get a place. I which you good luck.
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PLEASE READ :
We applaud Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio's decision to help New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS. It will save money and will save lives.
I remember a few years back I had a friend that lived in supportive housing where his rent was capped at 30 percent. He wanted to move on and won a lottery for a affordable housing apartment in Manhattan. The building was beautiful, affordable housing was mixed in with the rich apartment renters. The only problem was my friend had limited disability checks coming in every month, his rent went from around two hundred a month to about five hundred a month, leaving him with nothing to buy food with. He lasted only two months and finally he had to decide, pay the rent and don't eat or become homeless and have food. He chose being homeless. And he ended up in the hospital endless times due to being homeless, which in the long run cost the city and state more money than if he had a apartment in the first place.
Lucky after a few months, he was able to get another supportive apartment with low rent, but he did not need supportive housing, and by him taking another apartment meant that someone with HIV/AIDS that did need the services, did not have a place to go. This is the major problem with supportive housing. Even if the person with HIV/AIDS does not need caretakers and supportive housing, they are forced to stay there, because that is all they can afford. So they stay there for years, taking up a apartment that could be used for someone that really needs the services. Supportive housing also is for people with mental Disabilities, War Veterans and other health problems as well as other issues. So this bill will allow people that do not need these services to move on. It will open up housing for people that really need it.
Perhaps one more thing can be accomplished next. Currently the state and city will pay twenty dollars per month towards the electric bills of people with HIV/AIDS. This is just not enough. I can not tell you how many people I know with HIV/AIDS who are always on a final disconnect for their electric bill. Their bills range from a hundred a month in winter to over two hundred in the summer when electricity demand is high and so are the prices. Either the city or state or both should raise the help they can give with these bills. Better yet, Con Edison of New York City should give a deep discount towards people with HIV/AIDS as well as people with other disabilities. Considering how much CON ED makes a month in profit, maybe a bill is needed in Albany, that would require this utility to give people on limited income electricity and gas at cost. It is only right considering how much money Con Ed rakes in every month.
On another note, Dr. Frank R. Lipton from The Human Resources Administration (HRA), who has been called the quintessential unsung hero in media outlets, should be named the new Commissioner of The HRA. Under Dr. Lipton's direction, almost 15,000 supportive housing apartments have been created. Considered widely successful, Dr. Lipton has put New York City on the right track to end homelessness.
But Their Are Problems With HIV/AIDS Programs
There are some problems though. Currently a provider of Scatter Site and Supportive housing can do what they want. If a tenant has a complaint about services received by a provider, there is no outlet for the tenant to complain and take action against the provider. It is the provider that has the power to take the tenant on, but the tenant has no recourse to say to the HRA, "Hey, I am not receiving services". Currently apartment providers for the HRA can call level one, two and three meetings against the tenant and the next step is eviction. But if the provider is not living up to the contract for which they are being paid, no action can be taken against the landlord provider. This has to change, as providers are taking advantage of this loophole and people with disabilities, HIV/AIDS, Mental or other, have no recourse. They can be abused by the provider, which happens more often than anyone can imagine. I have heard more horror stories on this issue and recently I wrote Dr. Lipton asking him to put safeguards in place, so the City's HRA HASA program for people with HIV/AIDS, can take action against a provider who is being paid for services and not rendering them.
Another example of the abuses of providers. People with HIV/AIDS are told they will have Case Management. Yet none of the providers can tell you what that is. They demand that the person living with HIV/AIDS meet with them every week or every other week, yet provide no services. The caseworker will sit there and ask the client, what have you done, yet they never have any answers to what they have done to make the person living with HIV/AIDS live a easier life.
One recent example is St. Nicks Alliance of Brooklyn. I spoke to a caseworker who was recently fired because she wanted to help people with HIV/AIDS. She was told she did not manage her time well. But the reason she was not managing her time well, was she really was trying to help her clients. Helping takes time.
When I put the question to St Nicks Alliance about their Scatter Site program, they denied they had anything to do with their founding fathers, St. Nicks Alliance The Landlord. They said they were a separate entity, and the Landlord had nothing to do with the Scatter Site program. I could have believed this, since I live in one of St. Nicks buildings in Williamsburg. But when this case worker lost her job, she was called down to Frank Lang's office.When doing a search on Frank Lang, this is what several websites say.
Frank Lang is the Director of Housing for the St. Nicks Alliance since 2006 overseeing all of St. Nicks’ housing programs including real estate development, tenant assistance and property management. St. Nicks, founded in 1975, is one of the premiere community development companies in NYC.
St. Nicks Alliance Scatter Site programs separate from St. Nicks Alliance the landlord? I THINK NOT!
When I e-mailed the fired caseworker on what St. Nicks Alliance Scatter Site Case Management meant, this was her reply.
"Case management is an intangible construct. I don't know how they measure their results of case management. They are unbelievably infatuated with getting program fees. But you are right, they are not exactly managing anything."
Now for anyone who wonders what program fees are, they are the rent paid by the tenant and the monies paid to the program by the City, State and the HRA.
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Our constitutional rights are being violated by City of NY with these damn case mangers and we don't even know it ( sadly ) . A lot of non profit organizations keeping clients in a vicious cycle bureaucratically quagmire forgetting their mission of why it was created . Hasa the surreal real estate making billions on a sick person We The People don't have a voice or $$$ . I do believe in karma laws THE LAW OF CHANGE - History repeats itself until we learn the lessons that we need to change our path.