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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Asks Governor Schwarzenegger to Reconsider State Budget Proposals that Restrict Access to Lifesaving HIV/AIDS Drugs
Oakland, CA -- Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) was joined by Congressman Henry Waxman (D-CA) and members of the California Delegation today in sending the following letter to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger asking for a reconsideration of several state budget proposals that could affect the ability of Californians with HIV/AIDS to access lifesaving drugs and other state services. Other California congressional legislators signing on to Lee’s letter include Reps. George Miller, Tom Lantos, Xavier Becerra, Pete Stark, Hilda Solis, Howard Berman, Mike Honda, Susan Davis, Lucille Roybal-Allard, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Grace Napolitano, Adam Schiff, Sam Farr, Maxine Waters, Lois Capps, Bob Filner, Anna Eshoo, Ellen Tauscher, and Robert Matsui:
Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
As members of California’s state delegation to the United States Congress, we write to urge you to reconsider several proposals in your state budget request that, in their current form, could adversely affect Californians living with HIV/AIDS.
As you may know, we have made great progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the last ten years. However, current statistics demonstrate that we still have a long way to go before we are able to defeat this epidemic. In fact, last year saw the first rise in new AIDS cases nationally since 1995. The State of California, which accounts for approximately 1 in 7 of all cumulative AIDS cases in the United States, is uniquely affected.
It is believed that over 124,000 Californians may be currently living with HIV/AIDS. More alarming are estimates that 8,000-9,000 Californians are newly infected with HIV each year. In light of these statistics, it is clear that this epidemic poses one of the most serious public health crises to our state.
We are therefore very concerned by your proposed state budget for FY’05 which includes proposals that would effectively cut the amount of funding for Department of Health Services HIV/AIDS programs. Of particular concern is the plan to cap enrollment in the state and federally-subsidized AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) at 23,900 people, the program’s current enrollment.
Although a cure for AIDS has yet to be discovered, effective anti-retroviral treatments can substantially prolong the lives of those infected. It is estimated that capping the enrollment would deny access to at least 1,440 people per year. Perhaps most importantly, removing the hope of treatment will undercut existing efforts to encourage people to get tested, further contributing to the insidious spread of this deadly disease.
In addition, your proposed budget does not allocate any new dollars for ADAP despite the growing size of the infected population. Current estimates show that at least $25 million is needed to ensure full access to the program. Without it, the likely result is a reduction in benefits for existing ADAP clients and no hope of benefits for newly diagnosed individuals. Individuals who are denied treatment and placed on a waiting list for services will undoubtedly turn to our already strained public health system for care, as they struggle to cope with the opportunistic infections that will eventually take their life.
Your proposed budget also contains changes to the current Medi-Cal system, including a reduction in the amount of reimbursement to providers and the payment of premiums for optional benefits. We believe that such changes would adversely affect the quality and quantity of services available to many HIV/AIDS patients who are in dire need.
We understand very well that California’s current economic crisis requires you to make many difficult decisions in order to balance the state budget, and return California to fiscal integrity. We submit however, that in the case of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the costs of capping enrollment and the possible reduction of benefits creates a unique life and death situation for those accessing or seeking access to ADAP. In this case, literally thousands of lives could be at stake. For the health and safety of those Californians living with HIV/AIDS, we urge you to reconsider these current proposals.
Thank you for your attention to our letter. We look forward to working with you on this incredibly important issue, and we pledge to do our part to ensure that the Federal share of funding for ADAP is increased in the coming fiscal year so that California can better cope with the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases.
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Dear Governor Schwarzenegger:
As members of California’s state delegation to the United States Congress, we write to urge you to reconsider several proposals in your state budget request that, in their current form, could adversely affect Californians living with HIV/AIDS.
As you may know, we have made great progress in the fight against HIV/AIDS in the last ten years. However, current statistics demonstrate that we still have a long way to go before we are able to defeat this epidemic. In fact, last year saw the first rise in new AIDS cases nationally since 1995. The State of California, which accounts for approximately 1 in 7 of all cumulative AIDS cases in the United States, is uniquely affected.
It is believed that over 124,000 Californians may be currently living with HIV/AIDS. More alarming are estimates that 8,000-9,000 Californians are newly infected with HIV each year. In light of these statistics, it is clear that this epidemic poses one of the most serious public health crises to our state.
We are therefore very concerned by your proposed state budget for FY’05 which includes proposals that would effectively cut the amount of funding for Department of Health Services HIV/AIDS programs. Of particular concern is the plan to cap enrollment in the state and federally-subsidized AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) at 23,900 people, the program’s current enrollment.
Although a cure for AIDS has yet to be discovered, effective anti-retroviral treatments can substantially prolong the lives of those infected. It is estimated that capping the enrollment would deny access to at least 1,440 people per year. Perhaps most importantly, removing the hope of treatment will undercut existing efforts to encourage people to get tested, further contributing to the insidious spread of this deadly disease.
In addition, your proposed budget does not allocate any new dollars for ADAP despite the growing size of the infected population. Current estimates show that at least $25 million is needed to ensure full access to the program. Without it, the likely result is a reduction in benefits for existing ADAP clients and no hope of benefits for newly diagnosed individuals. Individuals who are denied treatment and placed on a waiting list for services will undoubtedly turn to our already strained public health system for care, as they struggle to cope with the opportunistic infections that will eventually take their life.
Your proposed budget also contains changes to the current Medi-Cal system, including a reduction in the amount of reimbursement to providers and the payment of premiums for optional benefits. We believe that such changes would adversely affect the quality and quantity of services available to many HIV/AIDS patients who are in dire need.
We understand very well that California’s current economic crisis requires you to make many difficult decisions in order to balance the state budget, and return California to fiscal integrity. We submit however, that in the case of individuals living with HIV/AIDS, the costs of capping enrollment and the possible reduction of benefits creates a unique life and death situation for those accessing or seeking access to ADAP. In this case, literally thousands of lives could be at stake. For the health and safety of those Californians living with HIV/AIDS, we urge you to reconsider these current proposals.
Thank you for your attention to our letter. We look forward to working with you on this incredibly important issue, and we pledge to do our part to ensure that the Federal share of funding for ADAP is increased in the coming fiscal year so that California can better cope with the growing number of HIV/AIDS cases.
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