DOWNTOWN TALLAHASSEE, FL (WTXL) — Florida advocates rallied at the State Capitol Thursday as 16,000 HIV patients face losing financial assistance. Lawmakers are proposing $68-118 million to bridge gap before March deadline.
They are pushing back against proposed changes to the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
In just nine days, insurance premium assistance is set to expire. That deadline drove healthcare advocates, patients, and providers to rally across the state and at the Capitol multiple times this week.
They are calling on state leaders to maintain full access to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, known as ADAP.
"These ADAP budget cuts are life or death. It's really life for the people living with this, that we have access to our medications, and possible death if we don't," one advocate said.
Tori Samuel depends on that assistance. She says without it, she and her husband cannot afford her medication.
"I work. My husband works, but we are not in a financial situation to pay $5,000 a month for some medication that I need to keep me alive," Samuel said.
The proposed cuts take effect March 1, in the middle of legislative session.
The Florida House has proposed $68 million to close the gap. The Senate has proposed $118 million.
Lawmakers must now agree on a final number, and the governor must sign it before session ends March 13.
Advocate and AIDS Healthcare Foundation consultant David Poole says the current proposals are non-recurring, meaning they do not guarantee long-term stability for the program.
"They are one-time funding, so we'll have to battle this out again and or help structure the AIDS drug assistance program in such a manner that it can sustain itself," Poole said.
The issue was initiated on January 8 when the Florida Department of Health announced planned cuts to ADAP.
Those cuts would lower income eligibility from 400% to 130% of the federal poverty level and eliminate insurance premium assistance.
On February 2, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation filed an administrative challenge, arguing the state failed to follow required rulemaking procedures.
On February 11, the department initiated the formal rule change process. Public comment remains open through March 4.
"So we do have a gap that needs to be addressed. We do have some hope that some of the manufacturers have indicated their patient assistance programs will assist in this; however, they do not have the capacity to handle this many people affected by this program change," Poole said.
In a statement, the Florida Department of Health defended the changes, saying they are necessary because of rising insurance costs and limited federal funding.
"HIV is not a death sentence. It's not a disgusting plague. It's something just like cancer just like if you have high blood pressure," Samuel said.
For thousands of Floridians living with HIV, this is a matter of continuity and survival. The clock is ticking as lawmakers work to finalize a budget before the March 13 deadline.
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