RICHMOND, Va. — Nearly a year ago, more than a dozen organizations across the commonwealth received “devastating” news from the state health department that their funding to provide HIV care and services to poor Virginians would suffer a significant cut. While some providers have said they were never told exactly what caused the funding loss, CBS 6 has learned a “billing error” by the health department played a role.
At the Health Brigade clinic in Richmond, the mission stays focused on serving low-income patients in Central Virginia, many of whom are uninsured, including those who live with HIV.
“There’s an intersection of multiple issues that it takes to make sure that they stay in care and that they get the social, emotional support that they need to continue to live with this. It’s a hard disease to live with,” said the non-profit’s executive director Karen Legato…