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ADVOCACY
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AIDS Drug Assistance Program
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The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) provides HIV medications to low-income people with HIV or AIDS who cannot afford the costly treatments. ADAP addresses the most basic need shared by all people living with HIV: life-extending medications that slow the progression of HIV disease and keep them healthy.
ADAP enrollment is increasing dramatically across the nation and in Illinois, creating a fiscal crisis for the program. A number of states have instituted waiting lists or cut individuals from the program. Visit the National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors website for the latest waiting list news.
ADAP cuts and waitlists interrupt or delay HIV treatment, causing deadly health risks for people with HIV. People with HIV need uninterrupted access to HIV medications, which must be taken daily to prevent the HIV virus from mutating. Interruptions or treatment delays are associated with an increased risk of disabling illnesses and premature death.
In 2014, when major health reform provisions take effect, most ADAP recipients will transition to Medicaid or subsidized private insurance, which will lessen the financial pressure on the program. Until then, however, intensive advocacy is needed to encourage expanded state and federal investment in the program.
For more information on ADAP advocacy in Illinois, visit State Legislative News.
Check out video testimonials from two ADAP recipients below:
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ADAP Changes for Better |
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Wednesday, February 01, 2012 |
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Life is about to get much simpler for the 4,200 people who access their HIV medications through the Illinois AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).
 The program has undergone major changes in the last 18 months or so, including a change in the eligibility requirements and an overhaul of the application process.
Applicants, including those who have received their drugs through ADAP for years, have had to navigate new and, in some cases, more stringent documentation requirements. But a new set of rule changes, advocated by the AIDS Foundation of Chicago and the AIDS Legal Council of Chicago, should streamline the process, said John Peller, (at right) AFC's vice president of policy.
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Read more...
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AFC Comments on ADAP Emergency Rules |
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State makes it harder to qualify for AIDS drug program |
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Friday, April 22, 2011 |
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Via The Chicago Sun-Times by
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Beginning this summer, the state will tighten its eligibility requirements for the financially-strapped AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
The program’s current income limit for eligibility is 500 percent of the federal poverty level, or $54,450 for a single individual.
After July 1, only HIV-positive people whose income is at or below 300 percent of the poverty level ($32,670) will be eligible to apply, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The change will not affect people already enrolled in the program, which subsidizes prescription drug costs for 4,100 Illinois residents a month.
But it could limit access to potentially life-saving medication for the estimated 100 or more people each year who would no longer qualify for the program, the AIDS Foundation of Chicago warned.
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Illinois Announces Reduced Access to HIV Medication Assistance, Effective July 1 |
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Monday, April 18, 2011 |
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AFC Urges Governor, General Assembly to Reverse Decision in the Interest of Public Health
On April 15, 2011 the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) announced plans to restrict access to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) to new applicants with incomes at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty level ($32,670 for a single individual) beginning in July. The current limit to qualify for Illinois ADAP is 500 percent of federal poverty ($54,450 for a single individual).
“This is a sad day for the fight against HIV/AIDS in Illinois,” said David Ernesto Munar, President/CEO of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC). “The new policy will keep ADAP out-of-reach for hundreds of individuals who have nowhere else to turn for help. Many will simply forgo treatment, at great risk to themselves and their partners.”
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ADAP Policies and Procedures |
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Saturday, September 25, 2010 |
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Illinois ASAP staff have been hard at work updating program policies and establishing new guidelines. Here they are, in the form of policy statements and memos to case managers and staff. If you have questions, contact ADAP at 800-825-3518.
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