With dwindling federal funds to keep supply meeting demand, states participating in the federal AIDS Drug Assistance Program are shoving hundreds and sometimes thousands of people with HIV or AIDS onto wait lists to get the drugs they need to stay healthy and alive. Some states are doing away with wait lists altogether, because they suggest there’s something actually worth waiting for.
Bringing this wait list back down to zero, where it was three years ago, has an obvious up-side: far fewer instances where HIV-positive persons develop full-blown AIDS and require lengthy, expensive hospital stays, which are far more detrimental to the bottom line. The federal program, administered by states, offers prescription meds to the poor, uninsured, and under-insured, whose monthly drug bills can reach five-figures.
And yet state after state is narrowing or completely closing enrollment in its programs, a problem exacerbated by the recession spiking unemployment, where workers previously covered by their companies’ health care plans must now rely on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. While individuals already enrolled generally do not face a risk of losing their coverage, some states kick the, off the roster if they fail to reapply every six months, a not-so-easy task when many of these folks are already battling joblessness and homelessness. These people would then, yep, go on the wait list.
Pygar
Sure, why not? Knock yourself out!
esque1985
In Spain all HIV positive patients get their drugs for free. It’s hard enough to be HIV positive but if you have to think about paying for the drugs it must be crazy. It’s hard to believe something like that can happen.
Qjersey
No we blame conservatives and republicans.
Just like Medicare Part D, the government under a republican controlled congress and president refuse to include price negotiation as part of the package.
ADAP programs basically pay what is charged by the insurance companies.
Then we have our Big Pharma trying to extend its patents on HIV drugs.
Oh yeah and don’t forget that a lot of HIV drug research was paid for by the government…with no payback or profit (investor) sharing in the resulting products.
It’s just more corporate welfare that allows CEOs and top execs to pay themselves 3 times what their counterparts were making before Reagen sold the nation’s soul to the marketplace.
slobone
Wait, didn’t we just get health care reform? Problem solved, right?
CJ
Interesting how progressives will do anything to ignore the fact that Democrats have been in control of Washington for almost 2 years. As well, that Bush did more for AIDS related funding than any Democratic president ever has. Too bad this is another example of how things are crumbling under Obama’s care.
Don’t get me wrong, Bush was a disaster as a president in countless ways. But, I won’t come to Obama’s or Democrat’s defense when they’re in power and are ignoring their constituency. There is a reason that Republicans are gaining momentum for November. A big reason for that is because Democratic voters are increasingly discouraged about their party. As far as Independents, it’s obvious that they’ll be leaning conservative again.
Many people had great hopes once Democrats took control of Washington. Unfortunately, they wasted an opportunity. After this November we can virtually guarantee that equality laws will not be passed. Democrats will blame Republicans and yet they passed on the opportunity to do something when they had the chance.
Evan
@slobone: I guess…I mean, it’s going to be fairly permanently solved for the people who will die between now and the arbitrary post-election date when HCR is slated to take effect..
Paul
Maybe we get people to stop the infection?? Having been poz for 24 years I am still amazed that we are increasing the number with aids. The people … very few… still alive from the 80’s who didn’t have all the info we do today need the money. Those just infected piss me off with their “take care of me” attitude. Get out and raise money like we did, In the beginning we had NO money from the feds. Regan was in office with blinders on. So stop complaining and get out and raise money. If you expect someone else to take care of you and you sit back…. well reality needs to visit YOU!
Blaine Ward
@Paul: Well said, Paul.
Baxter
Everything else gets blamed on Wall Street, why not this too?
Cassandra
“As well, that Bush did more for AIDS related funding than any Democratic president ever has.”
Care to substantiate that with citations?
I know that W. Bush increased HIV/AIDS funding for Africa where HIV/AIDS is predominantly transmitted heterosexually, but here in the U.S., Ryan White funding has not kept up with the case load, effectively creating a reduction in the availability of meds.