TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV/Gray Florida Capital Bureau) – More than 10,000 Floridians living with HIV now have access to medication after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a law reversing cuts to a critical drug assistance program.
The new law provides $30.9 million to keep the AIDS Drug Assistance Program running through June 30. State lawmakers unanimously approved the funding after the health department used emergency orders to slash the program.
“People are now able to breathe a little easier,” said Esteban Wood, director of legislative affairs for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.
The changes included reduced eligibility from 400% to 130% of the Federal Poverty Level, eliminated premium assistance and removed medications from the program.
Michael Rajner, an ADAP patient, said the funding is a temporary fix.
“It’s not the perfect solution, but at least it’s a bandaid to ensure people are maintaining access to life saving medication,” Rajner said.
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Program details
The program will remain available to Floridians with an adjusted gross household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level.
Through June 30, ADAP services must be provided through the distribution of medications directly to eligible Floridians. The HIV/AIDS medications covered under ADAP must include all drugs listed on the Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program Formulary as that formulary existed on March 1. Additionally, eligible self-insured Floridians will continue to receive co-pay assistance for all drugs listed on the Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program Self-Insured Formulary as that formulary existed on March 1.
Rajner is one of 30,000 Floridians in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program who rely on it to pay for expensive HIV medication. He said it’s important the legislature reverse all the cuts when lawmakers return to Tallahassee to pass a budget.
“People living with HIV and AIDS that don’t have access to the medications, don’t have access to doctors are going to end up in our local hospitals,” Rajner said.
Wood said there are no alternatives to the program.
“The reality is there are no alternatives. There are patient assistance programs drug manufacturers offer, but those are temporary fixes,” Wood said.
State data shows there were more than 32,000 people living with HIV in 2024, and that number is going up.
“We won’t see any more treatment interruption. People will no longer have to ration their life saving medication. Patients will no longer have that fear and anxiety,” Wood said.
Monthly reporting required
Beginning April 1, the Department of Health must submit monthly reports providing a detailed accounting of the ADAP. The reports must include all state and federal revenues and expenditures, all manufacturer rebates and other pharmaceutical offsets received or accrued, the total number of individuals participating in the program, participant counts by county of residence or administering organization, participants’ insurance statuses, and the number and type of prescriptions filled.
The department must also include in its reports month-over-month and year-to-date trend analyses and identify any projected funding shortfalls, enrollment pressures or operational risks anticipated within the current fiscal year. Reports must be submitted in a consistent format to allow comparison across reporting periods.
The first report is due next week.
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