The San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF) strongly praised Governor Schwarzenegger today for fully funding the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program in his revised state budget proposal. The Governor's proposal eliminates an earlier call for a cap on enrollment in the program and ensures that low-income Californians already in the program will continue to have access to life-prolonging medications.

Schwarzenegger did not include any increase in funding for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) in his original budget proposal released in January 2004; instead, he proposed to cap enrollment in the program at its current level of 23,900 individuals. In his revised budget proposal issued today, the Governor thankfully placed an additional $27 million into the program.

"People living with HIV and AIDS have mobilized in an unprecedented way to urge the Governor to spare this life and death program," said Dana Van Gorder, Director of State and Local Affairs for the Foundation. "We are very pleased that the Governor was willing to reconsider his position and that the Administration worked with the community to find common ground on this critical issue. Ultimately, money spent to prevent or delay the onset of AIDS saves the state a substantial amount of money in acute health care costs. This is both a humane and cost-effective program and the Governor deserves credit for recognizing that."

ADAP provides a range of HIV-medications to approximately 24,000 low-income Californians, most of whom are severely economically disadvantaged. Without ADAP, HIV medications that can cost at least $10,000 to $15,000 per year would be out of reach for hundreds of low-income Californians. In FY 2004-05, ADAP needed an additional $25 million due to increased enrollment, the use of additional drugs by current enrollees, and increased drug prices. The $27 million increase provided by the Governor will bring the total cost of the program to $234 million, $67 million of which comes from state funds.