Thursday, March 13, 2025
3/13/2025
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Utah was the fasted growing State from 2010 to 2020 with an estimated population of 3,271,616. This is up significantly from 2010 by 18.4%. The racial and ethnic composition of Utah was estimated to be 78.7% White non-Hispanic, 15.1% Hispanic or Latino, 2.5% Asian, 1.2% Black or African, 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native,1.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Other Race 6.7, and 8.5% two or more races. In Utah, there were 2,716 individuals living with diagnosed HIV in 2020 data. The rate of people living with HIV (PLHIV) has been increasing slowly for the last five years. In 2010, there were 71.2 PLHIV per 100,000 Utah residents. By 2020, the rate increased to 84.8 per 100,000 Utah residents. This represents a 19% increase in the rate of PLHIV from 2010-2020. This may be due to the increased life expectancy among PLHIV and Utah’s rapid population growth in the last few years. It is also possibly due to more accurate laboratory and reporting in recent years. In 2021, over 2,700 people diagnosed with HIV were living in Utah, Salt Lake County has the highest rate of PLHIV in the state of Utah at 160.4 per 100,000 Utah residents. Summit local health districts have the second highest rates of PLHIV with a range of 64.4 -71.2 per 100,000 residents. In 2021, 136 newly diagnosed individuals were reported to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services for a rate of 4.1 new diagnoses per 100,000 persons. Although rates have declined significantly since the peak of the epidemic, this has been comparatively consistent over the past 10 years. Most newly diagnosed HIV cases are reported along the Wasatch Front, 63% were reported in Salt Lake City County alone. Outside of Utah’s largest population centers, most Utah counties and local health districts experience low numbers of new diagnoses without consistent trends. There are 29 counties within the state of Utah and 22 are considered rural as identifi ed by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (FORHP) rural. This has been a barrier for PLHIV as it hinders access to health care services. There are few clinics and limited support services that are based on a scaling fee health in rural Utah. Many PLHIV must travel to Salt Lake County to see their HIV/AIDS care provider and/or identify other support services. Nearly 38% of all PLHIV in Utah receive assistance through the Ryan White Part B Program such as the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), health insurance, core medical services, support services, and case management services. The Utah ADAP supports approximately 1031 clients, 751 clients through health insurance assistance and 280 clients through ADAP. Of the clients receiving health insurance assistance, 210 clients are enrolled in a private qualified health plan that the Part B Program purchases directly from the insurance provider. The program has 352 clients enrolled in our ADAP Medicaid copay program which is minimal expense to the program and does not count towards the ADAP enrollment cap. The Program has 679 clients being served by ADAP which counts towards our 800 client cap. Since 2009, the Part B Program has faced challenges to maintain the Utah ADAP due to the implementation of cost containment measures such as reduced formulary, decreased federal poverty level eligibility, intermittent short-term waiting list periods, and continued enrollment caps. The Utah Part B Program is not allocated state funding and is dependent on federal funds to sustain Part B services. Since 2014, Utah has depended on Supplement funding to avoid a wait list due to the increasing need for Part B services for PLHIV. The Program has seen an unprecedented number of enrollees needing ADAP services after changing to yearly eligibility determinations. With Part B Supplemental funds, the Program can continue to further improve the client’s health outcomes across the HIV Continuum of Care by maintaining current services.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).