As state health budgets shrink, 17 states and the District of Columbia have reduced funding for HIV/AIDS programs, and at least five others are considering doing the same.
In late January, the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors received budget plans and projections from 41 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Nearly half of these territories said they have implemented cost-containment measures in their AIDS drug assistance program.
Those programs are in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Montana, Oklahoma, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and Wisconsin.
“The primary driver of deficits is the rising cost of medication per client, followed closely by the external policy pressures, specifically the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits for the purchase of insurance through the ACA marketplaces and increased program enrollment,” according to the association.
Five other programs are considering cost-cutting measures, including Hawaii, Idaho, New Jersey, South Carolina and Washington.
“Ultimately, such changes could result in people with HIV losing access to care and treatment, which could worsen health outcomes (increasing morbidity and mortality) and [lead] to new HIV infections,” KFF Health News reported March 2.
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