Frontline Season 6 Episode 21 Who Pays for AIDS?

Who Pays for AIDS? is the twenty-first episode in the sixth season of the acclaimed investigative journalism series Frontline. This episode sheds light on the rising AIDS epidemic in America in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the financial burden it places on individuals and the healthcare system.

The episode interviews various people affected by AIDS, including patients and their families, healthcare providers, and policymakers. They reveal the struggles and injustices that people with AIDS face on a daily basis, including discrimination, stigma, and insufficient access to healthcare.

The episode highlights the healthcare system's failure to provide affordable and accessible care for people with AIDS. It shows how insurance companies deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions, and how healthcare providers charge exorbitant fees for AIDS-related treatments.

The episode also explores the government's response to the AIDS crisis. It shows how President Ronald Reagan and his administration initially ignored the epidemic, and how it took years for Congress to pass legislation funding research and treatment for AIDS.

Who Pays for AIDS? also discusses the efforts of activists and advocacy groups, who fought for the rights of people with AIDS and pushed for greater government funding and research. These activists include Larry Kramer, the founder of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), and Elizabeth Glaser, a mother and AIDS activist who, along with her husband, founded the Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

Throughout the episode, the hosts and interviewees question who should bear the responsibility for paying for AIDS treatment and research. Should it be the government, healthcare providers, insurance companies, or the patients themselves? And how can we ensure that everyone with AIDS receives the care they need, regardless of their financial circumstances?

Who Pays for AIDS? is a thought-provoking and emotional episode that highlights the social and economic inequalities that underlie the AIDS epidemic, and the urgent need for systemic change. It also shows how the AIDS crisis brought together diverse communities and sparked important conversations about healthcare, human rights, and social justice.