PI Action alerts & updates ... 1996

One-time Opportunity to Support Increased Funding
for Access to New HIV/AIDS Treatments!!

Calls and letters needed ASAP!!

The recent FDA approval of new AIDS drugs and reports of additional treatments on the horizon have instilled hope and excitement among many people living with HIV/AIDS. However, the funding crisis in state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) has cast a shadow over that hope, as access to promising treatments for those who need them most may be limited. President Clinton is proposing an emergency funding increase for these crucial programs and an increase in this year’s appropriations for the Ryan White CARE Act. Call and write your elected representatives immediately and tell them that investment in AIDS research has begun to pay off, and we must now deliver treatment access to those who need it!

Action Needed:
This may represent a one time opportunity to secure funding for treatment and care delivery. Your voice must be heard to ensure the bipartisan support for these proposals in Congress!

Decisions will be made as early as March 5, although action may not be finalized until as late as March 14–15. Please do as much as you can in this time period to organize support for a supplemental appropriation for ADAP and increased funding for Ryan White.

• You can make a difference by calling your House Representative and phone script and sample letter to help craft your message! In addition,there may be Congressional delegation letters circulating in the following states: New York, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois. A Congressional delegation letter circulates to all members of a certain state delegation in the House of Representatives and asks the members to sign on. If you live in one of the listed states, ask your member if they have seen a sign-on letter and if they have endorsed it. These letters are an excellent way to indicate bipartisan support for an issue that affects the entire state.
• Call President Clinton 202-456-1111 and thank him for his proposed action. Urge him to make that action a reality and let him know you support an immediate $75 million augmentation to ADAP funding.
• Letters of support from governors and mayors who recognize the importance of these programs will be very helpful in obtaining this increased funding. If you or someone you know has a connection to your governor or mayor, please contact Ryan Clary or Anne Donnelly 415-558-8669 immediately. We can give you background information and a sample letter.
• Please send copies of your letters and any responses you get to Project Inform. We need these copies for our advocacy efforts and to evaluate our outreach success. Send your letters to:

Project Inform/TAN
205 13th Street, #2001
San Francisco, CA 94103
FAX: 415-558-0684

Please spread the word about this important issue! Obtaining these increased funds may make the difference between people getting the drugs they need or not being able to afford them. If you need any additional information, please contact the public policy department at Project Inform.

Sample Phone Message
“Hello, my name is ____________ and I am a constituent of Representative/Senator ______________. I am calling to urge Representative/Senator ______________ to support President Clinton’s request of $723 million for the Ryan White CARE Act in the final appropriations bill for fiscal year 1996. Without that funding, access to life-saving treatment and care for people living with HIV disease in (your state) could be interrupted. In addition, I strongly urge Representative/Senator ____________ to support the President’s emergency supplemental request for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program included in the disaster relief appropriations bill. Experts have indicated that an additional $75 million is needed to meet the new demand for treatment access for people with HIV and AIDS.”

Sample Letter for Increased Funding for Ryan White CARE Act and in Support of Emergency ADAP Supplemental Funding Request

The Honorable _____________
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
(or)
The Honorable _______________
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Representative/Senator _________________:

I am writing to urge you to support President Clinton’s request that $723 million for the Ryan White CARE Act be added to the final appropriations bill for fiscal year 1996. The uncertainty in funding for this crucial program during the past several months has created significant difficulties for states and localities in budgeting and planning services. In order to avoid delays and interruption of life-saving treatment and care for people living with HIV in (your state), the funding stream must be approved at this amount for the remainder of the fiscal year.

In addition, I strongly urge you to support the President’s proposal for an emergency supplemental request for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which I understand will be included in the legislation appropriating money for flood disaster relief. Experts have indicated that $75 million in increased funding for this program is needed to provide promising new treatments to people with HIV and AIDS.

Insert your personal story here. If you or someone you know accesses the ADAP in your state, or could benefit from the program if new drugs were available, discuss that here. You can also simply discuss your treatment needs and/or results from newly approved therapies; i.e., 3TC, Saquinavir, etc.

The recent FDA approval of new and promising treatments has generated hope and excitement among many people living with HIV and AIDS. However, the fiscal crisis in ADAPs nationwide has created significant concern that those who need these treatments the most might not have access to them. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program is a cost-effective and essential service for people living with HIV/AIDS, as it allows many participants to continue to work and be productive while still affording necessary treatment.

The federal government has wisely invested billions of dollars in AIDS research and it has a moral obligation to help deliver effective new treatments to those facing life-threatening illness. Please support the President’s efforts to increase treatment delivery.

Sincerely,
Your Name

Funding Crisis Background
The Clinton Administration is studying the potential public health crisis which will be caused by better drugs and limited access. The Administration also wishes to avoid possible interruptions of service or lowered levels of care caused by uncertainties in 1996 Ryan White CARE Act funding.

As part of negotiations with Congress to resolve appropriations for the remainder of the fiscal year, the administration is asking for certain funds to be added back into the final appropriations bill. Included in the amount is an increase for the Ryan White CARE Act of $90 million over 1995 funding and $67 million more than has been proposed by either house of Congress.

Table 1 (in millions)
	FY95	FY96	Request	Increase
Title I	$356	$407	+ $51	(+14%)
Title II	$198	$222	+$24	(+12%)
Title IIIB	$52	$62	+$10	(+20%)
Title IV	$26	$32	+$6	(+23%)
Total	$633	$723	+$90	(+14%)

On March 1, President Clinton is expected to send an emergency assistance supplemental appropriations request to Congress responding to recent floods. It is our understanding that this request will also include an emergency request of $52 million for ADAP. This funding will be essential to the ADAP program. While President Clinton should be commended for his effort to address the serious problem of access to HIV treatment, the ADAP Future Funding Working Group continues to advocate that the amount included in the supplemental appropriation identified for ADAP must be $75 million. This higher figure represents the need of ADAPs nationwide to adequately supply lifesaving treatment to those who need it.