OraSure Applauds Congress for Passing Legislation to Enable Routine HIV Testing Throughout the U.S. Veterans Health Care System

BETHLEHEM, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--OraSure Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSUR), the market leader in oral fluid diagnostics, today issued a statement applauding the U.S. Congress for passage of The Veterans Mental Health and Other Care Improvements Act of 2008 (S. 2162). The bill includes a provision that repeals the 1988 Veterans Benefits and Services law which has limited the implementation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for routine HIV testing, counseling and early diagnosis that were issued in 2006.

U.S. Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA-14) and U.S. Congressman Charles Dent (R-PA-15) championed the provision, which now removes significant barriers to routine HIV testing within the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) making it possible to implement broad-scale HIV screening. The VA is the largest integrated healthcare provider in the United States and the single largest provider of HIV care.

The 1988 Veterans Benefits and Services law which is being repealed includes consent restrictions and impedes any universal HIV testing program unless specific funding to do so has been appropriated by Congress. By repealing this law, the VA can now adopt the CDC's recommendation of streamlined counseling and can implement routine HIV screening in VA health care settings.

"OraSure commends Congressman Doyle, Congressman Dent and other members of Congress for enabling a critical new healthcare initiative for veterans nationwide," said Douglas A. Michels, President and Chief Executive Officer of OraSure Technologies. "We applaud Congress's efforts to remove the barriers that have limited the access to HIV screening and counseling for all veterans."

About OraSure Technologies

OraSure Technologies develops, manufactures and markets oral fluid specimen collection devices using proprietary oral fluid technologies, diagnostic products including immunoassays and other in vitro diagnostic tests, and other medical devices. These products are sold in the United States as well as internationally to various clinical laboratories, hospitals, clinics, community-based organizations and other public health organizations, distributors, government agencies, physicians' offices, and commercial and industrial entities. OraSure Technologies is the leading supplier of oral-fluid collection devices and assays to the life insurance industry and public health markets for the detection of antibodies to HIV. In addition, the Company supplies oral-fluid testing solutions for drugs of abuse testing.

The OraQuick ADVANCE(R) Rapid HIV-1/2 Antibody Test, manufactured and sold by OraSure Technologies, is the first and only U.S. Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") approved and CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments Act of 1988) waived rapid point-of-care test that can detect antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 in 20 minutes, using oral fluid, finger-stick or venipuncture whole blood and plasma specimens.

For more information on the Company, please go to www.orasure.com.

Source: OraSure Technologies, Inc.