SPRINGFIELD — In an effort to assist Illinois residents living with HIV who are affected by social determinants of health, Illinois HIV Care Connect today introduced the “Good Health Is More Than Health Care” Quiz.
Illinois HIV Care Connect is encouraging people living with HIV are encouraged to take the quiz, which can be found at https://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/4562185/Good-Health-Is-More-Than-Health-Care-Quiz, according to a press release from the organization.
llinois HIV Care Connect is a statewide network providing medical case management, health care and support services to people living with HIV. About 45,000 Illinois residents are estimated to be living with HIV. Illinois HIV Care Connect has agency offices located in Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Belleville, Murphysboro, Champaign and Chicago and serve people living with HIV in all of Illinois’ 102 counties.
The quiz is the first step in a campaign that will help people living with HIV to identify how the social and economic conditions in which they live, learn and work may be impacting their health, Illinois HIV Care Connect stated. For example, one in eight Americans lack consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, and in Illinois, the lack of dependable housing, income and transportation has been shown to lead to poorer health outcomes.
Those taking the quiz will be directed to educational content to learn more. Illinois HIV Care Connect is promoting the quiz on the Illinois HIV Care Connect website (hivcareconnect.com) and on its Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram social media platforms.
People living with HIV who enroll in Illinois HIV Care Connect may qualify for programs that may provide assistance in overcoming some of these social and economic obstacles. Among these programs are Medicaid, Medicare, the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, the ADAP Medication Assistance Program (MAP), the CHIC Premium Assistance Program (PAP), Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA), and others.
“By enrolling in Illinois HIV Care Connect, people living with HIV gain access to the benefits of all of these programs at once,” said Jeffery Erdman, assistant director of programs for the Illinois Public Health Association, which manages the Illinois HIV Care Connect program with funding from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
Depending on a person’s needs and income level, these benefits may include medical, dental and mental health care, including treatment for substance abuse and child health care; assistance paying health insurance premiums or purchasing HIV medications; and obtaining necessary food, housing, utilities, and medically related transportation. An Illinois HIV Care Connect case manager helps enrollees to determine which benefits they quality for.
People living with HIV in Illinois may contact the closest of seven regional offices to learn more about how Illinois HIV Care Connect can help them live healthy with HIV. Not all services may be available, and the nature of services may vary, by regional office.