Washington Post Article About ADAP Waiting Lists

[Inchlingblue]

Maybe this kind of prominent media attention will make a difference? It's a very sorry state of affairs in the US. How can this happen in a country so "rich?"

Thousands on HIV drugs desperate amid budget woes

LINK:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/16/AR2010121601187.html

I think it's important to click on the link to the article. They keep track of what's popular and it would help show that this is a subject people care about.

[metekrop]

The thing what always amazes me is why the HIV drugs are so expensive?  If it is relaivelly inexpensive most people can afford them at their own.  I think the anual cost should be reduced from like $20k per individual to $5k.  If so no body wants others to help them get these meds.  Anyways.....

[Inchlingblue]

Ann I thought this article was more about the trials of living with HIV.

Isn't this forum more about "how to" navigate insurance and benefits?

[Ann]

I did mull it over before I moved it. However now that we have a section dedicated to things like ADAP, it's better to keep these topics in this section as it makes them easier to find for those who are interested. That's why I've moved other ADAP waiting list threads here and I believe this forum's primary moderator, JR Gabbard, has also moved ADAP waiting list threads here. You can ask him what he thinks via PM if you like.

[leatherman]

Ann I thought this article was more about the trials of living with HIV.

This is just one of those topics that crosses several lines - and forums

Of course, without ADAP assistance to get your meds, then you really are "living with HIV" - without the benefit of meds. That's the ultimate in "living with". However, there are some workaround temporary benefits and assistance programs through the difference pharmaceuticals (depending on what med you take), ASOs (depending on if there is one in your service ares) and Wellvista. Yet, in the end if there was ever an issue that was definitely a call for activism then this is it here in 2010-2011. what could be more important than this issue of getting medication to our fellow HIV positive citizens? (I mean if we can't even get the gov't to help keep working, tax-paying, productive citizens properly medicated, how long will it be before they decide those on medicare and medicaid are a drain to the system?)

I've been posting the ADAP waiting list numbers in this forum (since those posts got moved here) and periodically post a call for letter-writing, phone calls etc over in the Activism forum.


What worries me the most is that the focus has been lost on HIV/ADAP (due to the death of former activists, the I've-got-mine attitude, and the misunderstood news reports of AIDS cures and infection-preventing pills, and even the lack of consumer/client/patient involvement), and the situation is slipping away amidst rumors and warnings of ADAP cuts, medicaid cuts, and other lost streams of revenue and funding. I wonder how long before we begin to see an uptick in AIDS-related deaths and how many we'll see before there is a public outcry.

I hope that I'm just needlessly worrying; but things keep getting worse, not better. And I remember what things were like 20-25 yrs ago. I remember what it's like when no one cares and there's not enough government intervention and/or assistance for tackling the issues related to an epidemic - people die.

[JR Gabbard]

I did mull it over before I moved it. However now that we have a section dedicated to things like ADAP, it's better to keep these topics in this section as it makes them easier to find for those who are interested. That's why I've moved other ADAP waiting list threads here and I believe this forum's primary moderator, JR Gabbard, has also moved ADAP waiting list threads here. You can ask him what he thinks via PM if you like.

The post seems apropos to me.