AFC Applauds Governor's Plan to Fully Fund AIDS Assistance Program, Expand Medicaid for Greater Numbers of Low-Income People with HIV

CHICAGO--The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) applauds plans by Illinois Governor George Ryan to fully fund the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) and to pursue a federal waiver to expand Medicaid to low-income HIV-positive individuals.

The announcement, made today, was part of the governor's budget proposal for fiscal year 2003, which starts in July 2002.

The governor's pledge to fully fund ADAP beginning July 1 is welcome news for thousands of low-income Illinoisans living with HIV/AIDS. ADAP provides life-saving AIDS medications to more than 2,700 low-income, HIV-positive people each month, and is credited with reducing AIDS-related deaths by keeping ADAP beneficiaries healthy and productive.

Late last year, AFC and AIDS advocates statewide adamantly opposed the governor's decision to cut $3 million in state funding for the program as part of a strategy to address the state's $500 million revenue shortfall. The Illinois Department of Public Health, which runs the program, has thus far avoided cutting services or restricting eligibility in the program, but has done so by using next year's federal funds to offset the loss of state dollars. By fully funding the program, lawmakers and the governor will assure that ADAP services remain uninterrupted.

The governor also announced that the Illinois Department of Public Aid (IDPA) will pursue efforts to develop a federal waiver application that would allow the state to expand Medicaid services to non-disabled, low-income people with HIV. AFC supports the waiver concept and will play a leadership role in working with IDPA to develop a plan that meets federal requirements and that extends coverage to as many HIV-positive individuals as possible.

"Thousands of uninsured state residents with HIV currently lack access to medical services and medications that would dramatically improve the length and quality of their lives," said Mark Ishaug, AFC executive director. "By expanding Medicaid, the state could move dramatically forward in efforts to help these people stay healthy and productive, while saving the state the costs of more expensive care."

Maine, Massachusetts, and the District of Columbia have already received federal approval to establish similar Medicaid expansion programs, and Georgia's application for HIV Medicaid expansion is currently pending.

Unfortunately, the governor's budget proposal does not include a $2 million appropriation created last year to conduct HIV prevention programs in communities of color. As the epidemic continues to disproportionately affect men and women of color, AFC will work tirelessly to urge state lawmakers to restore funding for these vital services.

Established in 1985 to provide central leadership in the fight against the epidemic, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) promotes sound HIV/AIDS public policy, funds HIV/AIDS care and prevention projects, and through its Service Providers Council, helps to coordinate the delivery of essential HIV/AIDS services.

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