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The Utah Department of Health recently closed the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program to new enrollees. “There’s so many more people that want to access the program,” said Mike Lowe, ADAP’s administrator. “We receive the same amount of money each year. In the past, we just cut back on services,” Lowe said. “Now we’re at the point where we can’t really cut back on any more services.” The decision does not affect ADAP’s 475 current clients.
An average of four to five low-income HIV patients typically seek ADAP’s assistance each month, but that number has risen to 18 in recent months, said Lowe. He attributed much of the jump to people losing their jobs - and health insurance - in the poor economy.
The health department is creating a waiting list while it awaits word on a request for an additional $750,000 for ADAP from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Patients who cannot afford their HIV medicines, which can cost $1,500 a month, are being directed to pharmaceutical company assistance programs.
The health department closed ADAP to new patients in the fall of 2009 for one year. The department also changed ADAP’s eligibility requirements, making the program’s help available only to those earning no more than 250 percent of the federal poverty level. This cut 89 patients from the rolls. The program reopened to new clients last August, following a HRSA infusion of $750,000. Utah receives $2.7 million in federal funds for ADAP; the state contributes none of its own dollars for the cost of the medications.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
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