National ADAP Working Group calls for more federal
ADAP funding

The National ADAP Working Group, a coalition that monitors and advocates for the country's AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, is calling on Congress to increase federal spending on the programs by $303 million in fiscal 2006 to ensure that all low-income HIV-positive people have access to life-saving antiretroviral medications, CQ Healthbeat reports. The additional funds are needed to prevent the state-run programs from tightening financial eligibility requirements, capping enrollments, or reducing the number of drugs they provide because of budgetary shortfalls, according to working group members. There are currently about 600 people on waiting lists for access to the cash-strapped programs in nine states. More than 140,000 people are currently enrolled in ADAPs around the country, but AIDS experts expect the number of people seeking access to ADAPs to increase by an additional 25,000 to 40,000 people by April 2007. President Bush's proposed budget for fiscal 2006 includes a funding increase of only about $10 million for ADAPs. Bush has proposed no funding increases for most AIDS programs receiving federal Ryan White CARE Act money in 2006, while others, particularly the Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS program, are slated for large funding cuts.