HIV: PRACTICAL MATTERS-USING THE SOCIAL SERVICES

If you have been denied insurance, or if you have exceeded the limits of your insurance policy, you can turn to the social service system. The social service system gives financial help to the elderly, to children, to the poor, and to the disabled. You are disabled if you have a diagnosis of AIDS and if you are also unable to work. Social service money is a benefit, paid by federal and state governments, to which you are entitled as a citizen.
A problem is that many people with HIV infection are severely disabled but do not have an AIDS-defining diagnosis. Therefore, they are not eligible for many benefits that are based almost exclusively on this diagnosis.
To get into the social service system, begin by calling your city or county or state social service agencies. These agencies are listed under social services in the telephone book’s yellow or blue pages. Or start with a social worker at your hospital, church, or AIDS-advocacy agency.
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