The Next Two Years

Kids need healthy parents as well as pre-K programs.  This isn’t an either/or equation – it’s both/and. 

And yet, last week the NC Department of Health and Human Services announced a plan to take $5 million of AIDS Drug Assistance Program funding to help pay for an expansion of the state’s pre-kindergarten program.

That plan wasn’t made in a vacuum.

That plan was made in the aftermath of two years of policy debates over how to manage our state’s budget and how to meet our state’s most pressing human needs – decisions that have too often positioned managing the budget and meeting our most pressing human needs as an either/or equation, rather than a both/and.

This is far from the first time this year that one worthy cause has been pitted against another because policymakers have refused to take a balanced approach to solving our state budget problems.  And if things don’t change in this election, it won’t be the last.

This election will decide what the next two years look like for HIV/AIDS advocates – and as HIV/AIDS advocates, it’s our responsibility to exercise our right to vote. 

By voting, we can help to ensure that we have elected officials who care about the needs of people living with and at risk for HIV.  By voting, we can help to ensure that we have elected officials who bring the vision and leadership needed to solve our budget problems in ways that meet our human needs.

That’s why we’re urging the 10,000+ members of NCAAN’s Action Team to cast their ballots during the early voting period, now through Saturday, November 3^rd.

Please join me in making an early voting plan and sticking with it.  Simply look up your nearest early voting location here and then pick out a time that fits your schedule. 

My plan: Go to Town Hall with my spouse before work tomorrow.  (Making plans to vote with family/friends is a great way to make voting more fun and make sure you stick to your plan.)

Voting early will ensure that your ballot is cast no matter what unexpected things might happen on November 6^th.  And, most importantly, it will ensure that your vote will help to determine who serves in elected office in the coming years. 

Press Release: Advocates Concerned by Transfer of Funds from AIDS Program

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PRESS RELEASE                                                CONTACT: Lisa Hazirjian, Executive Director

October 26, 2012                                                                          (919) 576-0448, lisa@ncaan.com

  

Governor Perdue’s plan for funding a new expansion to pre-K programs, released yesterday to the News & Record, may endanger other critical services to North Carolina families, including access to medication for HIV/AIDS patients, advocates say.

The Governor’s Office told the News & Record on Thursday that it would fund its expansion of pre-K programming with $20M transferred from other Department of Health and Services Programs, including $5M in projected unexpended service funds from the state AIDS Drug Assistance Program.

 “Kids need healthy parents as well as pre-K programs,” said Lisa Hazirjian, Executive Director of the North Carolina AIDS Action Network.

Michelle Wilson is a mother of six who lives in Winston-Salem who has been served by the program.

“For my family, ADAP meant stability,” Wilson says. “Without the program, I wouldn’t be here today. My illness was hard on my kids. For my family, for my kids, the program was not optional. It was a necessity.”

The program currently provides HIV/AIDS medications to about 4,500 North Carolinians. State officials say that the transfer of funds should not affect any of the clients currently served by the program.

“Governor Perdue historically has been very supportive of the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS,” said Hazirjian. “We do not believe she would do anything to jeopardize access to HIV/AIDS medications to people currently served by ADAP.”

“However, we are concerned that this may restrict the program’s ability to serve clients in the future and to offer clients the range of medications that they need for other conditions that commonly affect people living with HIV/AIDS,” Hazirjian said.

In January, 2010, cost-containment measures created a waiting list for people living at between 125 and 300 percent of the federal poverty level and reduced the list of drugs available through the program.

Thanks to an infusion of federal funds, the program’s waiting list has been clear since August, but these cuts may mean that the state will have to re-open the waiting list for these lifesaving medications in the future.

Patients cannot currently receive medications for a range of health problems that often accompany HIV infection, such as diabetes, heart disease, Hepatitis C, and mental illness. This means getting the proper medications can difficult.

For instance, patients who receive drugs through hospital charity programs often must pick their drugs up in person every 30 days. This can be financially and physically challenging for patients who may live more than 100 miles from their nearest provider.

 “Funds in the AIDS Drug Assistance Program should not be diverted,” Hazirjian said. "Jeopardizing the well-being of one group of people to meet the needs of another does us no good."

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The North Carolina AIDS Action Network is a statewide advocacy organization, made of up 10,000 supporters, dedicated to fighting for the rights of people living with HIV/AIDS, their loved ones, and those at risk of acquiring HIV/AIDS in North Carolina.  For more information, visit www.ncaan.org.

ADAP Watch

As of October 18, 2012 there are:

• 5,448 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 4,494 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 954 are enrolled in SPAP
• 0 individuals on the waiting list

As of October 11, 2012 there were:

• 5,317 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 4,369 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 948 are enrolled in SPAP
• 0 individuals on the waiting list

According to NASTAD’s most recent ADAP Watch, released on October 12, there are 5 states with waiting lists, totaling 104 people.  That report shows NC as having 0 clients on the waiting list, which was our official count at COB on October 18.  NASTAD’s ADAP Watch can be found at http://www.nastad.org/default.aspx.

ADAP Watch

As of October 11, 2012 there are:

• 5,317 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 4,369 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 948 are enrolled in SPAP
• 0 individuals on the waiting list

As of October 4, 2012 there were:

• 5,089 individuals enrolled in HIV/AIDS drug assistance programs (ADAP & SPAP)
  • 4,203 are enrolled in ADAP
  • 886 are enrolled in SPAP
• 0 individuals on the waiting list

According to NASTAD’s most recent ADAP Watch, released on September 14, there are 6 states with waiting lists, totaling 88 people.  That report shows NC as having 0 clients on the waiting list, which was our official count at COB on September 13.  NASTAD’s ADAP Watch can be found at http://www.nastad.org/default.aspx.

Your Opportunity

by Kyle Hoover, Promote the Vote Coordinator

This November is full of opportunities.

An opportunity to act.

An opportunity to make your voice heard.

An opportunity to raise the amount of attention paid to HIV/AIDS related issues.

An opportunity to remind America that as a nation we need to make an investment in health.

Voting in the 2012 election is our opportunity to make positive changes in the world of HIV/AIDS when there is so much to be gained.

Voting in the upcoming election ensures that the people most affected by HIV/AIDS choose which candidates will make decisions about HIV/AIDS policy. Those elected to office at the state and federal levels will cast votes, debate policies, and move legislation that could result in increases or losses of resources for people living with and at risk for HIV/AIDS. Both in North Carolina and at the federal level, elected officials will debate:

• How the nation will move forward with implementation of health care reform
• Investments in HIV prevention, treatment, care, housing, and research, as well as critical non-HIV specific programs like Medicaid and food stamps
• Whether local authorities will be allowed to use federal funding for evidence based prevention efforts like syringe exchange
• Access to reproductive health are
• The future of comprehensive sex education

This election gives us a pivotal opportunity to raise the level of awareness on these issues and other issues that matter most to our community. We can advance policies that move us closer to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in North Carolina. Beyond raising awareness, we can educate poll workers and candidates about the issues we care about most and increase voter participation by fellow advocates who are part of marginalized communities.

The future is full of possibilities in the world of HIV/AIDS, and this election clearly demonstrates how many possibilities are ours for the taking.  The biggest thing we can do right now is vote.

NCAAN Votes because we believe that all North Carolina families deserve health care policies centered on fairness, equality, and access to care. Why do you vote?  Print out your own sign and send your photos or stories to be featured on our blog to kyle@ncaan.org. Your story can inspire others to register and vote!




            

NCAAN Registers to Vote Because...

By Kyle Hoover, NCAAN Promote the Vote Coordinator

From now until Election Day, I’ll be sharing the stories of a why members of NCAAN’s Action Team will be voting in this election. Keep an eye on NCAAN’s Facebook page for more stories and photos!

NCAAN Action Team Member Melissa is a member of UNC Chapel Hill’s Class of 2014. Here’s what she told me about her experience registering to vote:

I registered to vote about a week ago. I was walking to campus and a girl with a clipboard who was working for a voter promotion group stopped me and asked if I was registered.  Since I wasn’t, I decided to fill out a form so she could mail it off. The process was pretty simple, and it only took five minutes.

I registered because I am 20 years old and this is the first election that I have been able to participate in.  So many people, especially women, have fought and sacrificed so much for me to have the ability to vote that it would almost be disrespectful if I didn't exercise that right.  

With this election, we can create the healthy future all North Carolina families deserve - one centered on fairness, equality, and access to care, including HIV prevention, testing, and healthcare services.

The first step is making sure we and our loved ones are registered to vote by the October 12th deadline. You can find all the resources you need to register to vote or confirm your registration status on the NCAAN Votes page.

Here are some reasons why other NCAAN members will be voting in this election:

One vote can make a difference. - Edgar, Winston-Salem

To end HIV. - Christina, Charlotte

It’s my right! - Shannon, Hillsborough

I want to move forward! -Michael, Charlotte

I want equality for all Americans. -Michelle, Carrboro

I want to make a difference! -Courtney, Durham

Everyone deserves fair and equal protection by our government. - Erin, Chapel Hill

The people who believe they can change the world are the ones who do. - Susan, Chapel Hill

Thank you for sharing your stories, everyone!

Why are you registered to vote in this election? Share your answers in the comments!

Why do you vote?  Print out your own sign and send your photos or stories to be featured on our blog to kyle@ncaan.org. Your story can inspire others to register and vote!