11.25.03 - Advocates Call Schwarzenegger's Proposed Cuts to AIDS Drug Program Inhumane

The San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) was sharply critical of Governor Schwarzenegger's request today to make cuts to the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program. Calling the request to close enrollment in the program on January 1, 2004 inhumane and counterproductive to sound public health, the Foundation vowed to fight for Californians who could not otherwise afford life-saving HIV medications. The Foundation also criticized proposed reductions in reimbursement to Medi-Cal providers.

The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) provides a range of HIV-medications to some 26,000 low-income Californians, most of whom are severely economically disadvantaged. Forty-six percent of ADAP clients earn less than $8,860 per year and 77 percent earn less than $17,720 per year. Without ADAP, HIV medications--which can cost between $10,000 and $15,000 per year--will be out of reach for these individuals. As part of a set of budget cuts he has asked the Legislature to make half-way through the current budget year, Schwarzenegger has proposed allowing patients who leave ADAP to be replaced, but prohibiting any increase in the number of people enrolled in the program. This could result in HIV medications being denied to at least 720 people from January 1 to June 30, 2004 and set the stage for hundreds more to be denied medications in the next budget year.

"The ability of low-income people living with HIV and AIDS to access this program is a matter of life and death," said Dana Van Gorder, Director of State & Local Affairs for the Foundation. "If Governor Schwarzenegger's proposal is enacted, many individuals will become sick and some people will die because they are denied access to life-saving medications. Governor Schwarzenegger has said that he will not allow politics as usual and that he will work for all the people of California, but there is nothing new to the ugly idea that our budget problems should be balanced on the backs of our most vulnerable residents. Last year, we worked with the Legislature to fund this vital program while addressing the realities of the budget deficit. We urge Governor Schwarzenegger to work with us so that no person needing HIV medication is left behind."

Van Gorder said the Governor's proposal to close ADAP enrollment not only puts lives in jeopardy, but will ultimately cost the state more money. "Every person who cannot access these life-saving medications will become increasingly sick, and the cost of their acute healthcare will cost the state more than their HIV medications."

The AIDS Foundation also criticized Schwarzenegger's request that the Legislature cut reimbursements to physicians for Medi-Cal patients by an additional 10 percent. In addressing the budget deficit last year, the Legislature agreed to cut reimbursements by five percent, and SFAF agrees with other healthcare advocates that another cut will force many providers to stop treating Medi-Cal patients. "Today, only 15 percent of the state's physicians can afford to provide care to Medi-Cal patients, and the effect of this proposed cut will be to deny health care to thousands of vulnerable people," said Van Gorder.

SFAF called on all Californians concerned with quality health care to contact Governor Schwarzenegger immediately to ask that he drop his current proposals to gut heath and human services programs and to develop more humane solutions to the state's budget problems. Yesterday, the Foundation issued a set of recommendations to the Schwarzenegger Administration on tackling the HIV/AIDS crisis in California.