ADAP Watch Jan 7, 2011

[leatherman]

ADAPs with Waiting Lists
(5,154 individuals in 10 states*, as of Jan 6, 2011)
(changes from December 10, 2010 noted in parens (+611))

Arkansas: 15 individuals (+10)
Florida: 2,715 individuals (+319)
Georgia: 853 individuals (+16)
Louisiana: 578 individuals** (+67)
Montana: 15 individuals (+1)
North Carolina: 99 individuals (+15)
Ohio: 425 individuals (+51)
South Carolina: 337 individuals (+39)
Virginia: 116 individuals (+92)
Wyoming: 1 individual (+1)

ADAP Jan 6th Watch List
**Louisiana has a capped enrollment on their program.  This number is a representation of their current unmet need.

At the end of 2010, Congress did not pass the omnibus bill (the budget for federal spending) and only an emergency spending bill was passed that pays for the very basics. That means that the proposed $60 million that was to go to ADAP never materialized - so sadly the ADAP waiting lists keep growing.

Over 5000 American citizens now financially qualify to receive ADAP's help to provide meds or to cover insurance costs and are not receiving this assistance, but have gone onto a "waiting list". Although some ASOs and other agencies have found or provided work-arounds, all of those solutions are only temporary while the meds are a life-long commitment.

To make matters worse, some state Medicaid programs are facing serious financial issues also. Already reductions in services and co-pay amounts are being put into place to prop up these systems from collapsing.

If you live in one of the states that has an ADAP waiting list or one that is experiencing Medicaid cuts, you owe it to yourself and your fellow citizens to write your state Senators and Representatives explaining to the them the importance of staying on anti-retrovirals, and the savings to the taxpayers by paying to provide these life-sustaining meds rather than paying for the extreme costs of caring for unmedicated hospitalized HIV+ patients - not to mention that treatment also helps stem the spread of HIV.

With no foreseeable help from the federal government, it is incumbent on all of us to work towards persuading state legislators to take up the slack that they have created in the first place by not adequately funding health care for their own citizens.

[buginme2]

Hmm all red states (ohio included) wonder if thats a coincidence.

[leatherman]

Hmm all red states (ohio included) wonder if thats a coincidence.

nope. it's been pointed out before by others (and I mentioned it in the last lines of my post) that our very own (republican-controlled) state legislatures have purposely unfunded health care initiatives in our states (not just HIV/ADAP issues) which has in turn undercut the federal matching dollars coming up in FY2012. So the short-sightedness of these actions in 2009 and 2010 will continue into 2011 and on into 2012.

However, I always feel obligated to point out that regardless of who has caused these problems, these problems are here and need a fix - because eventually they can become everyone's problems.

For example, just because it was the South Carolina state legislature that choose to fund a beauty pageant and loan $10mill for a golf tournament, and nearly scuttled restaurant and nursing home inspections, childhood inoculations, HIV prevention programs and ADAP, doesn't mean that other states won't share in the problem. When HIV remains untreated and continues to be spread, eventually turning SC into an HIV hot spot, it won't take long for the disease to spread across state lines into the surrounding blue states. Just like it behooves America to help stem the tide of the epidemic in Africa to spot the spread of the epidemic worldwide, it helps protect our own society when the all the states in America work to quell the spread of HIV/AIDS amongst the citizens in our neighboring states.

Not to mention that the biggest reason everyone should help with this problem is because eventually those Americans unable to access HIV meds can begin to die (as 4 people did in 2006 during the last ADAP crisis, and as one has already passed away in 2010)

[Miss Philicia]

the issue has been going on this entire decade, more or less (though yes it's much worse now due to the Great Recession)

http://www.thebody.com/content/art33015.html

That's just a snapshot of 2001 - 2003 in terms of waiting lists, capped enrollments and reduced formularies per state.

[metekrop]

Is it not possible to move to states where there are no waiting list for ADAP?  I think it might be life saving to think of that.  Is it not???  I heard no one raising of this issue here or somewhere else.

[Miss Philicia]

Well, yeah that's what I would do if I encountered that situation, but I'm more mobile than most people -- I own no property, don't even own a car, don't have a husband and kids to consider, etc.

And, of course, moving to another state costs money.

People should always consider that not everyone who signs up for ADAP needs meds right away, they just qualify and are encouraged to go ahead and get "in the system" to avoid waiting list issues -- or that's what I've heard.  So there's a difference with the numbers between people on a waiting list who aren't in the "med crucial" zone and then the ones that are. 

[leatherman]

Is it not possible to move to states where there are no waiting list for ADAP?  I think it might be life saving to think of that.  Is it not???  I heard no one raising of this issue here or somewhere else.

Qualifying for ADAP is based upon income, so most people that qualify for ADAP are probably too poor to pack up and move to another state. For many people, because of the poverty/low income issue, moving would actually create more problems even if meds were more readily available.

for example just renting a uhaul to bring me from OH to SC took my whole month's disability check and another $50. Not to mention all the other problems of moving like finding a new place to live before packing up and moving, security deposits for new housing and utilities, paying off the final bills for the old utilities, etc. Then there's the problem, if you're not on disability but working and ADAP is paying your insurance, of finding another job that'll supply insurance in the new location.

[leatherman]

Speaking of the ADAP Waiting Lists, the new NASTAD report is out

ADAPs with Waiting Lists
(5,387 individuals in 10 states*, as of Jan 13, 2011)
(changes from Jan 6 noted in parens (+233))

Arkansas: 19 individuals (+4)
Florida: 2,816 individuals (+101)
Georgia: 873 individuals (+20)
Louisiana: 583 individuals** (+5)
Montana: 19 individuals (+4)
North Carolina: 100 individuals (+1)
Ohio: 438 individuals (+13)
South Carolina: 341 individuals (+4)
Virginia: 197 individuals (+81)
Wyoming: 1 individual (+0)

ADAP Jan 14th Watch List
**Louisiana has a capped enrollment on their program.  This number is a representation of their current unmet need.

[leatherman]

People should always consider that not everyone who signs up for ADAP needs meds right away, they just qualify and are encouraged to go ahead and get "in the system" to avoid waiting list issues -- or that's what I've heard.  So there's a difference with the numbers between people on a waiting list who aren't in the "med crucial" zone and then the ones that are. 

Don't forget either that several of the states with waiting lists have been dropping people, who were on ADAP and receiving meds, from their rolls (especially Florida and Ohio) by changing the financial qualifications and/or by reducing formularies, so for every person who might signed up and not yet taking advantage of receiving meds, there are still people who are now struggling to find a way to obtain meds who were being helping by ADAP just a few months beforehand.

[richie]

I wonder if this calls for some grass-roots organization which could help relocate people willing (but unable financially) to relocate to a State without a waiting list?  Perhaps we should start something, or organize through local existing HIV support organizations?! 

My read is that the Red States aren't going to be getting better, only worse, and people are dying as a result (an example is Arizona stopping transplants for those without money or insurance).

??!!

[leatherman]

My read is that the Red States aren't going to be getting better, only worse, and people are dying as a result

(though you're probably right) I hope your wrong about that!

The SC HIV/AIDS Crisis Care Task Force held two rallies last year (SC ADAP Funding Cut Protest Rally) and made a difference by getting our legislature to partially fund ADAP and HIV prevention programs  - when they were going to totally cut out ALL funds.

Here in a state where one person has already died (a few months ago) without meds on the ADAP waiting list, we're holding another rally next month (SC Rally to Restore Funding for ADAP - Feb 9, 2011) along with releasing a Harvard-sponsored report showing how funding ADAP and medicating HIV positive people is humane and economical.

I have hope that we'll change hearts and minds of our legislators (R) and South Carolinians can continue living here - and by living I mean WITH meds. But if that doesn't pan out, then maybe we will have to have a pozzie relocation program.