Alabama: AIDS Program to Drop Patients

Unless Alabama lawmakers quickly approve more money for the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program, letters could go out within days informing 200 currently enrolled patients they are being cut from it. "I'm trying desperately to avoid taking people off," said state Health Officer Don Williamson. An additional $1 million is needed to maintain the current enrollment of 1,178 patients, he said.

"This whole situation is just horrible. Not only do we have the distinction of having the longest waiting list in the country, we are also poised to be the only state to kick people off the program," said Kathie Hiers, CEO of AIDS Alabama. Already, 525 people are waiting to join in the program, which froze enrollment last year due to funding problems. Alabama is the only state in the nation that has consistently had an ADAP waiting list. Thirty more people apply to join the program each month, Williamson said, while only three leave it, usually because they died.

By Oct. 1, Alabama ADAP needs an additional $3.5 million to qualify for all the Ryan White funds available to it, said Williamson and Hiers. Earlier, Williamson had feared that 514 patients would have to be cut, but the department was able to cobble together other funding, taking about $1 million from other public health functions. Williamson also plans to take $250,000 normally distributed to AIDS organizations for case management and medical transportation services.

Most of those now on the waiting list have been able to access treatment through pharmaceutical companies' charitable programs. Hiers, however, doubts it would be possible to suddenly find drugs for the 200 people who could be dropped from ADAP. "I can say with certainty all the people will not get their drugs," she said.

Back to other news for March 3, 2005