AHF calls on Sen. Nelson to address Florida's AIDS drug crisis

“Although some money is being funneled Florida's way, ADAP will still require millions of dollars more to accommodate its patient load”

On Monday, December 20 at 6:00 PM, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a town hall and public forum at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center calling on U.S. Senator Bill Nelson to immediately address Florida's AIDS drug crisis which has left nearly 2,400 patients without access to lifesaving AIDS medications. Town hall attendees will include AIDS advocates, patients, healthcare professionals, community leaders and concerned citizens. At the event, AHF will also preview its latest television ad, "Save my life," scheduled to run in Miami/Ft Lauderdale beginning on Monday, December 20^th. The ad features the story of 30-year-old Steven Dimmick of Jacksonville, Florida. Mr. Dimmick has been on Florida's ADAP waiting list since it began in June 2010. The spot asks viewers to contact Senator Nelson by phone or e-mail urging him to step in to solve this public health crisis. In addition, AHF is running a similar ad in a print version set to begin appearing in the Florida Sun-Sentinel, South Florida Gay News and Florida Agenda also on Monday.

"Though AHF commended Senator Nelson for sending a letter in August asking his Democratic colleagues in the Senate to address the ADAP funding crisis, nearly 1,400 people have been added to Florida's waiting list since then - and still, no action has been taken," said Michael Weinstein, President of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "We urge Senator Nelson to take immediate and forceful action to save the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS in his state. This is a national crisis—but Florida has quickly become the state in the most dire need. Presently there are more than 4,500 people in nine states on ADAP waiting lists—over half of whom are in Florida. Florida currently has the largest ADAP patient waiting list in the country, as well as the highest rate of new HIV infections in the nation. Lives like Steven Dimmick's are on the line. Senator Nelson must do more to solve this growing life-threatening, public health crisis."

In response to severe budget shortfalls, the state's federally funded, state run AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) that pays for lifesaving AIDS drugs for low-income Americans instituted a waiting list on June 1^st of this year. That list has grown at a rate of 400 per month and now nearly 2,400 Floridians have been placed on the state's list awaiting access to potentially lifesaving antiretroviral AIDS medications. In addition, 350 current Florida recipients of ADAP benefits are set to be removed from the rolls of Florida's ADAP and as a result they will no longer be able to obtain their lifesaving medication through this federally funded program. According to the Florida Department of Health, the Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program is $16 million short of being able to serve all of its current clients until April 1, 2011.

Enrollment into Florida's ADAP has reached unsustainable levels with presently allocated funds, and thus has impelled the Health Department to tighten income eligibility requirements. 2,000 more patients may also be at risk for being dropped by the state if the Health Department cannot procure emergency dollars to support the program.

In the TV ad, patient Steven Dimmick - who has been on Florida's AIDS drug wait list since June of this year - says: "I was diagnosed HIV positive seven and a half years ago. The day that I found out I was on a wait list I felt like I was told I had AIDS, you know? I felt like I was told all over again that I'm possibly going to die from something. Not 'There's hope.' Not 'There's a way we can fix this.' Not all the things I was told: to start taking the medicine. Now, it's the complete opposite. Back to death."

Nationwide, ADAPs serve more than 165,000 people, accounting for one third of people on AIDS treatment in the U.S. Unfortunately, the need for these programs expands every year, as more and more people become infected and diagnosed with HIV/AIDS; each year thousands of newly diagnosed HIV patients turn to ADAPs because they cannot afford their medicines.

"Although some money is being funneled Florida's way, ADAP will still require millions of dollars more to accommodate its patient load," said Michael Kahane, Southern Bureau Chief for AIDS Healthcare Foundation. "Many HIV patients who have lost their employment rely on this program to receive the lifesaving medications they need. In addition, people are continuing to be tested for HIV, and some in need of treatment may also be put on ADAP waiting lists. This directly conflicts with the President Obama's National AIDS Strategy, urging more testing so that people will know their status, get into treatment which helps break the chain of new infections. We urge people in South Florida to attend this town hall to address the ADAP crisis as well as ask all Floridians to contact Senator Nelson urging him to act now to save ADAP and save lives."

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and services to more than 140,000 individuals in 22 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific region and Eastern Europe. www.aidshealth.org

In FLORIDA, AHF serves more than 15,000 Floridians living with HIV/AIDS through a variety of programs, including free HIV testing and prevention programs; HIV/AIDS health care centers located in Ft. Lauderdale, Miami and Jacksonville, eight AHF Pharmacies located throughout the state, a statewide disease management program; and its Positive Healthcare Managed Care program.