Ryan White Coverage & Eligibility

UC San Diego Health's Owen Clinic is one of the region's largest Ryan White contracted care providers.

What Is the Ryan White Program?

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS program supports primary medical care and essential support services for people living with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured and don’t qualify for other insurance such as Medi-Cal, Medicare, or private health insurance. It does not cover inpatient (hospital) care.

The program also funds technical assistance, clinical training, and the development of innovative models of care than now enable people with HIV to have close to normal lifespans.

The program is divided into five parts. The parts directly related to patient care are listed below.

Qualifying for Ryan White HIV/AIDS Assistance

To receive services for Part C, Part D and the dental program, you must:

• Be HIV positive
• Reside in San Diego County
• Be 21 to 64 years old
• Be ineligible for insurance or other publically funded programs (such as Medi-Cal, Covered California, or other private health insurance)
• Have a federal adjusted gross income that does not exceed $58,850
• Comply with any requirement to apply for Medi-Cal, Covered California or both, as directed at the time of application

To qualify for the HIV/AIDS drug assistance program, you must:

• Be HIV positive
• Reside in California 
• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a modified federal gross income that does not exceed 500% of the federal poverty level, based on family size and household income
• Have a valid prescription from a licensed California physician
• Comply with any requirement to apply for Medi-Cal, Covered California or both, as directed at the time of application

Apply for Assistance

For your care to be covered, you must receive your care at a Ryan White contracted clinic. To apply for a Ryan White program at a UC San Diego Health location, please contact:

• Owen Clinic if you are an adult 
• UC San Diego Health's Mother, Child and Adolescent HIV Program if you are a mother with HIV or have a child who is HIV positive

Find a Ryan White medical care provider at another location.

Documents You Need To Apply

The Owen Clinic asks that you show a valid ID and your state and federal income tax returns (with W-2s and 1099s). Other clinics may require other documents. Ask the clinic what you need to bring. Below is a list of documents that may be required.

Other Resources & Insurance Accepted

The Owen Clinic accepts private insurance, as well as reimbursements from various assistance programs for low-income, uninsured HIV-positive individuals.

If you are a patient at Owen Clinic, your case manager can discuss your options. Programs that currently provide assistance for eligible HIV-positive individuals include:

• Medi-Cal, similar to the federal Medicaid program but designed just for Californians
• Medicare, HIV-positive individuals who are permanently disabled may be eligible for assistance even if they are younger than 65 years old
• Medicaid, a federal program that supports health care coverage for low-income individuals and has played a vital role in HIV care since the epidemic began
• California Department of Public Health's Office of AIDS, coordinates state programs related to HIV
• San Diego County Medical Services, a program that funds medical care for uninsured, indigent adult county residents through a network of participating providers
• HIV/AIDS Hotline
  800-367-AIDS or 415-863-2437
  The information is available in English, Spanish and Filipino
  TDD for the deaf: 888-225-AIDS.