7 Days in June: Health is Primary
The first week of June, San Francisco AIDS Foundation is participating in the Seven Days in June: Health is Primary campaign.
This national campaign – implemented on a grassroots, regional level – calls attention to the devastating effects of H.R. 1 (Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”) on our networks of health and social safety net services, including our HIV response. H.R. 1, combined with local public health budget cuts, will combine in ways that harm our community’s most vulnerable and underserved.
Did you know? Medicaid cuts will harm people living with HIV
H.R. 1 makes significant changes to Medicaid eligibility, which may result in 10 million people losing Medicaid coverage by 2034 and the program being cut by more than $900 billion over 10 years.
The biggest loss of coverage will come from new work requirements for certain enrollees. The vast majority of people enrolled in Medicaid who can work already do so, and folks who cannot work (because of disability, illness, or another reason) may be likely to lose coverage because they’re unable to navigate the complex administrative processes necessary to secure work exemptions.
Medicaid is the primary insurer for people living with HIV, which means that the population of people living with HIV will be impacted by this type of coverage loss.
In San Francisco, these Federal-level Medicaid cuts will reduce health coverage for many San Franciscans. It’s estimated that between 25,000 and 50,000 San Franciscans will lose Medi-Cal coverage, representing a decrease of 12%-23% of all enrollees.
This includes people living with HIV, immigrants, lower-income residents, people with disabilities, and many others.
As people lose Medicaid coverage, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program providers, free clinics, nonprofits and other safety net providers will experience increased strain as more uninsured or underinsured people rely on these programs.
Local public health cuts will harm people living with HIV
Compounding these harms are cuts being proposed by the City of San Francisco to public health systems, community health organizations, and HIV services. The San Francisco Department of Public Health has proposed $37 million in cuts to community-based organizations, in addition to closures of health clinics and internal cuts to SFDPH programs and staff.
As part of an overall plan to cut $2.2 million from HIV community organizations in fiscal year 26-27, cuts are planned to the HIV prevention “Health Access Point” system of care, which will reduce service provision and capacity building for communities disproportionately affected by the epidemic.
As people lose access to insurance and Medi-Cal, safety net providers and local public health programs will need to serve more people, with shrinking budgets. Many programs and providers of harm reduction, HIV and STI prevention, LGBTQ+ care, and other health programs across San Francisco will be affected.
San Francisco AIDS Foundation is advocating for the City to protect HIV, LGBTQ+ and harm reduction programs and services. You can join us in advocacy by emailing city leaders including Mayor Lurie (do that here).
45 years, 45 million lost to HIV and AIDS
As we advocate at the city, state, and federal levels to protect public health programs, services, and infrastructure that serves our communities, we also pay homage to the long and successful history of HIV response in San Francisco and across our nation.
Over more than four decades, we have built systems of care that prioritize and protect our communities. We have reduced HIV transmission in our communities and rolled out new prevention tools. We have cared and support our long-term survivors, recognizing that their efforts have paved the way for progress we have made.
June 5 is the 45th anniversary of the original CDC report documenting the first cases of what would come to be known as AIDS. 45 years later, we’ve lost 45 million people to this devastating epidemic. As we remember and commemorate our shared history, we must keep an eye on the future. To know that we cannot move backwards.
Join us on June 5, 2026 for a candlelight vigil in honor of HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day and the Seven Days in June: Health is Primary movement. We’ll honor survivors, remember those we have lost, meet the moment with community remarks from San Francisco leaders, and join together in collective resistance.
