ADAP Update

Thanks to leadership from Gov. Purdue and our lawmakers, the state budget was approved with $14.1 million additional dollars allocated to assist with the ADAP waiting list crisis in our state. As of June 30, 2010 there were 800 people on the NC ADAP waiting list. Of those, 625 met the current eligibility of 125% of the FPL and will now receive medications. This is a significant victory, but 175 people who are above the 125% income level remain on the waiting list.

Going forward, it is expected that the current funding will be able to serve upwards of 800 additional eligible people. On average, the cost per enrollee in ADAP is $640 per month. The ADAP Program expects to enroll an average of 120 people per month, and projects that ADAP funding will again run out in February 2011 and a new waiting list will start.

Last week, the White House released its first National HIV/AIDS Strategy which includes a total of $25 million for states like NC that are in the trenches of the ADAP crisis. This is far less than the $126 million sought by HIV/AIDS Advocates nationally. NC has had to endure cost containment measures to decrease formularies and lower eligibility in addition to having the largest waiting list in the nation. NC will apply for this funding, which may allow for more people to be served.

In the meantime, January brings the start of the 2011 long session in the NC General Assembly. It is critical that advocates, consumers, and allies thank our supportive legislators and the Governor, but also continue to fight for to maintain funding and to seek additional funding for ADAP. It is expected that next year's budget will bring even larger shortfalls and cuts. Together we were victorious in communicating the importance of ADAP, and next year we will need to mobilize even stronger than we did this year.