On July 29, 2012, President Obama released $80 million to help states that are struggling to provide lifesaving HIV medications through their AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) and to expand the number of people with HIV/AIDS who are able to get primary care at community health clinics.
$70 million of this funding will go to 25 states and territories with a goal of eliminating ADAP waiting lists and assisting with other cost-containment measures that states have been forced to implement because of lack of sufficient funding. There are currently 1,805 people on ADAP waiting lists in nine states and several other states have changed eligibility requirements, reduced the number of available medications, and/or added cost-sharing.
The remaining $10 million will go to Ryan White funded community health clinics to expand primary care services to 14,000 additional people with HIV. While there has been a lot of attention on ADAP waiting lists, clinics have also been struggling to provide basic health services to those in need.
Project Inform applauds the Obama Administration for its leadership in providing additional and targeted funding to help ensure that low-income people with HIV/AIDS receive the care and treatment they need. This funding is critical to meeting the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy, the development and implementation of which we have heavily supported. Project Inform will continue to work with our advocacy partners to encourage Congress and the Administration to provide sufficient funding for the Ryan White Program, including ADAP, while we work towards full implementation of the Affordable Care Act.