MEDIA ADVISORY -- For Immediate Release
For Information Contact: Lei Chou at 212/260-8868
Bill Arnold at 202/588/1775
President's $20 Million Won't Solve ADAP Crisis
Advocates Demand Long Term Solution

(August 7, 2004) On June 21st President Bush announced a $20 million emergency allocation for state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) in order to "eliminate ADAP waiting lists." Expert sources from impacted states, however, state that waiting lists will soon outstrip available funding in spite of the President's $20 million bailout. All available data suggest that $217 million will be required to address the immediate access to care crisis in ADAP. The program currently serves nearly 150,000 uninsured or underinsured HIV patients. 400 to 600 HIV+ Americans have historically looked to enroll in ADAP every single month - for many years.

The President acted in response to a June 7, 2004 report announcing that waiting lists for AIDS Drug Assistance Programs had grown to 1629 eligible clients in eleven states. Ten other states announced imminent cuts in benefits. Many state waiting lists have been annual phenomena since 2000, the last year the program received adequate funding from the federal government. Recent emergency state funding allocations in Colorado reduced the total national waiting lists by approximately 100 people.

"There is a national need model for ADAP that has been validated each year since 1996," said Lei Chou of the AIDS Treatment Data Network. "That model predicted this emergency 18 months ago. It clearly and unequivocally demonstrates a minimum need for $117 million in additional funding for FY 2004 and at least $100 million in FY 2005 to maintain some measure of stability in the program. In spite of the new $20 million, the existing structural deficit remains. The only solution is to provide sufficient additional funding. Unfortunately, the President has asked for and it looks like Congress will provide only a $35 million increase for next year. At least five people have died so far while on ADAP waiting lists. How many more will die before the federal government addresses this problem?"

"The tragic irony of the ADAP crisis is that the incredible success of the program in keeping people alive is causing the system to crash," said Bill Arnold, Director of the ADAP Working Group. "By staying alive they continue to rely on ADAP while approximately 4,800 to 7,200 new people, people who have just tested HIV+ positive or who have lost their insurance, come to the program for help each year."

Ever expanding amounts of data which support providing sufficient funding to ADAPs include:

Reductions in death rates: Since the introduction of effective antiretroviral therapy 1996-97, death rates from AIDS in the U.S. have fallen by over 80%.
Reductions in costs: Recent data from the University of Alabama at Birmingham demonstrates that early treatment for HIV/AIDS prolongs life, enhances quality of life and actually reduces long term costs of care. The average cost of care for a person with early HIV disease is approximately $14,000 a year while waiting to treat that person until they are disabled costs about $34,000 a year.
Reduction in new HIV infections: A government policy of providing HIV-infected citizens with free access to potent regimens of antiretroviral drugs reduced the rate of HIV transmission by 53% in Taiwan, according to a study in the August 15 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases. This large study replicates findings reported last year by investigators at NIH."
The disadvantage of the President's band-aid approach is illustrated by three state ADAP programs.

"In Arkansas, we have been living on the edge since 1996," said Eric Camp of Little Rock. "Now it looks like on the day they decided to allocate the money, we may not have had a waiting list so we won't qualify for the additional assistance. But we did have a waiting list the week before, we have one now and it is only going to get worse." Only states with waiting lists reported to HRSA on June 21st were qualified to receive the emergency funding.

"Our state has gone from being one of the best places for people with HIV/AIDS to live to one of the worst in a little over a year," said Fred Schaich of Oregon. "First, the state made drastic cuts to our Medicaid program. That sent hundreds of people from Medicaid to ADAP. In response, the state restricted eligibility for ADAP, cut the state ADAP formulary and instituted co-pays that are going to make life very difficult for poor folks living with this disease. Would the state have cut the program if they knew a temporary bail out was coming? Who knows? But it certainly isn't going to help us now."

"In Colorado, we had over 300 people on our waiting list in June," said Arthur Powers. "Our state health department responded in July with $10 million in state funding to eliminate the waiting list. The President's action sends the wrong message to states that take this kind of exceptional action. The Administration needs to step up to the plate and find a way to solve this problem over the long term."

"It is infuriating to know what is needed, to be able to demonstrate that need and to get this kind of response," stated Gary Karch of Michigan. "All the President's $20 million will accomplish is to keep the ADAP crisis out of the newspapers until after the election. This is a national public health crisis and requires a comprehensive federal response. Whether you live with HIV or die from AIDS should not be a game of Russian roulette that depends on the state you live in or whether you sign up before the funding runs out."

"What we really need," said Jeff Bloom of Washington, DC, "is for every single person who has HIV or advocates for people with HIV or even knows anyone with HIV to call their Representative and Senators in their district offices while they are home in August and demand that they find $217 million for ADAP. Call early, call often, but call!"