AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs) provide HIV/AIDS treatments at low or no cost to people living with HIV and AIDS on a limited income in all fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. This treatment access program is intended to serve the low-income HIV positive person who has no other source of prescription reimbursement. The programs are generally funded by a combination of federal (Ryan White CARE Act) and state funds. ADAPs provide a life-saving, cost-effective, and essential service for people living with HIV/AIDS. The majority of uninsured people are also working. For many ADAP consumers, the assistance offered by the program allows them to continue to work and be productive while still affording necessary HIV treatment.

For a list of the ADAP programs state-by-state: www.aidsinfonyc.org/network/access/index.html

ADAPs across the country are facing difficulty delivering appropriate services due to a number of factors, including inadequate federal and state funding. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of several promising but costly anti-HIV drugs has placed a financial burden on these programs. Clinical study results and drastically improved health for some individuals has renewed hope regarding HIV treatment. As one consequence, state ADAP enrollment is increasing significantly. In addition, since protease inhibitors are approved for use in combination with one or two other antivirals and the efficacy of combination therapy has been well established, the overall yearly cost for an individual’s HIV treatment regimen has doubled or tripled.

In response to this problem, The National ADAP Working Group, a coalition of community advocates and pharmaceutical industry representatives, was formed to devise a strategy for dealing with this problem. In 1996, through the hard work of advocates, some elected officials, including Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-SF), Representative John Porter (R-IL) and Senator Arlen Spector (R-PA), and the Clinton administration, a total of $167M in new federal funding was targeted specifically for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program. In addition, many state advocates convinced their state officials to increase state contributions to the program. This amount of money still fell $81M short of the estimated need for the program.

Since then, the crisis in many state ADAPs has continued. Some states have enacted strict criteria which may not be justified by the current standard of HIV care.Several states experiencing severe funding crunches have placed caps on the numbers of people served and/or the amount they spend on each individual, or tightened eligibility requirements. Additionally, while the focus has been on the addition of protease, many states continue to make very few drugs available only to those with the most limited incomes, sometimes less than $8,000 per year, making the program virtually useless to those who may need it. Other ADAPs, particularly those with significant state funding, are delivering much more to their clientele.

If the current ADAP crisis is to be dealt with seriously, both the federal and state governments must support significant increases in funding so that every HIV positive individual can benefit from the successes of government-funded HIV/AIDS research, regardless of income.

While many states supplement federal funding with state general funds, others do not. Each state determines the eligibility criteria for its program and the number and type of treatments provided through the program. Therefore, the programs vary widely by jurisdiction.

Below is a link to the ADAP programs state-by-state. Under each state you will find the drugs covered by its own ADAP program. By clicking this, you will open a new browser window for AIDS NYC. When you want to return to our website, simply close the second window.

www.aidsinfonyc.org/network/access/index.html

Your help to make that possible will be essential. Elected officials at the federal and state level need to hear about the importance of ADAP and the difference this program can make in your life and the lives of those you love.

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