The Body | July 9, 2015
The Ryan White Program, the largest program for HIV care and treatment, is not immune from these cuts. In 2013 the program lost about $144 million out of a total of $2.4 billion. This is a real problem, since the program covers HIV care for at least half a million people every year who don’t have health insurance. It also covers support services such as transportation, nutrition, legal help, translation services, and case management. And it contains a billion dollar program called the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) that funds drugs for people who don’t have insurance or Medicaid. Secretary Sebelius has estimated that cuts to ADAP would result in 7,400 fewer people having access to HIV drugs. Clearly this is a public health issue that the community must immediately address.