AP/Florence Times Daily Examines Funding Shortages Facing Alabama ADAP
The AP/Florence Times Daily on Friday examined funding shortages affecting the Alabama AIDS Drug Assistance Program that could leave hundreds of HIV-positive state residents without ADAP coverage (Jafari, AP/Times Daily, 3/3). ADAPs are federal- and state-funded programs that provide HIV/AIDS-related medications to low-income, uninsured and underinsured HIV-positive individuals (Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report, 2/16). The program needs $5 million in legislative funding this year, more than it has ever requested, according to the Times Daily. The state also is asking for $12 million in "federal matches" for the 1,100 HIV-positive Alabamians enrolled in ADAP, the AP/Times Daily reports. The state Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee on Wednesday voted to approve a General Fund budget that would raise state ADAP funding by 42% to the necessary $5 million. The 300 people on the state ADAP waiting list would not benefit from the funding increase, Kathie Hiers, CEO of AIDS Alabama, said, adding that the funding "doesn't put a dent in the list." According to Hiers, Southern states, including Alabama, account for about 45% of new HIV cases and receive one-third of the federal funding allocated for HIV/AIDS programs. Hiers added that the state reports 35 new HIV cases monthly and that 400 people in 2006 are expected to be added to the waiting list, the longest and oldest in the country. (AP/Florence Times Daily, 3/3).
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