Thousands of Floridians living with HIV could lose access to critical medication after the Florida Department of Health tightened eligibility requirements for its AIDS Drug Assistance Program, known as ADAP.
ADAP helps low-income people with HIV get access to medication that stops the virus from developing to a fatal stage and blocks it from being transmissible.
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The state health department was facing a $120 million budget shortfall due to a lack of state funding, prompting officials to set stricter limits on who qualifies for the program in order to focus limited funds on those with the lowest incomes.
Income eligibility dropped from 400% to 130% of the Federal Poverty Level — from approximately $63,840 annually for a household of one down to $20,748 annually for a household of one.
The changes also eliminate insurance premium assistance through ADAP unless a person is self-insured and restrict access to certain medications, potentially impacting more than 12,000 Floridians.
In Palm Beach County alone, approximately 1,700 low-income people with HIV no longer qualify for assistance.
"The result of this is, people are going to die," Commissioner Bobby Powell said.
I met with Lysette Perez, the health program officer with Compass Community Center, which offers free HIV testing. Perez said the stakes are especially high for certain groups.
"Black heterosexual females are the highest population currently showing new infections," Perez said.
She also highlighted the steep cost of HIV medication for those who lose coverage.
"The medications can be upwards of $5,000 for a 30-day supply," Perez said.
Her concern is that if people can't afford HIV-blocking medication, infection rates may rise. Overall, 8,000 people in Palm Beach County are HIV positive.
On Wednesday, Palm Beach County leaders approved $7.6 million from Ryan White funds — money dedicated to HIV initiatives — to help people impacted by the eligibility changes.
Due to limited funds, the county will not cover the cost of medication directly. Instead, the county plans to stretch its dollars by helping people obtain insurance, which would offset the high cost of medication.
Dr. Casey Messer, who works with county community services on ending HIV, said the county is already reaching out to those affected.
"We've already begun making notifications to all the clients that are impacted," Messer said. "There is another pathway for them to maintain continuity of care."
State lawmakers are also moving to protect access for low-income Floridians who have lost coverage. Senator Ben Albritton has filed an amendment to fund ADAP. The nearly $31 million measure would cover medication for Floridians earning up to four times the Federal Poverty Level through June.
For more information on Palm Beach County's Ryan White program, visit discover.pbc.gov/communityservices/pages/ryan-white-care.aspx.
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