More than 16,000 HIV patients in Florida, mostly African Americans and Latinos, could lose access to medical treatment due to budget cuts proposed by Governor Ron DeSantis, sparking protests from civil organizations and public health activists.
Florida remains one of the states with the highest number of new HIV infections in the United States, so the adjustments have raised concerns among specialists, patients, and human rights advocates, who describe the measures as “arbitrary” and posing a high health risk.
Cuts to the ADAP program would put thousands of people with HIV at risk
Hundreds of activists mobilized this week in Tallahassee, Florida’s capital, to demand a halt to the $120 million cut to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), which would take effect on March 1.
Currently, more than 30,000 people depend on the ADAP program in Florida, representing nearly a quarter of the 130,000 people living with HIV in the state.
“We know that the majority of people with HIV are African American and Latino, and they will be significantly affected”, warned Esteban Wood, director of Advocacy and Legislative Affairs at the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).
Changes in eligibility and medications: the impact of the adjustment
The Florida Department of Health justified the cuts by citing changes in federal funding, such as the expiration in 2025 of subsidies under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).
Among the most severe changes are:
- Reduction of the income limit for ADAP eligibility from 400% to 130% of the federal poverty line
- Exclusion of patients with incomes above $20,345 per year
- Replacement of brand-name drugs such as Biktarvy with generics
These measures could lead to treatment interruptions, an increase in preventable diseases, and a higher risk of HIV transmission, warned Carl Baloney Jr., president of AIDS United, who called the decision “cruel and fiscally irresponsible”.
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Activists denounce ideological, non-technical decisions
Civil organizations assert that the state government’s arguments do not reflect the reality of federal funding.
“Florida is claiming a cut in federal funds that is not true”, denounced Michael Rajner, an activist for people with HIV and collaborator with Equality Florida, who stated that a possible lawsuit to reverse the adjustments is already being analyzed.
“We are demanding that the Florida Department of Health immediately stop these cuts. These are arbitrary decisions”, he emphasized.
Florida, among the states with the highest HIV infection rates in the United States
Florida ranks third nationally in new HIV infections, with a rate of 16.7 diagnoses per 100,000 inhabitants, a figure that rises to 33.3 in Miami-Dade County, according to AIDS United.
In addition, the expiration of Obamacare subsidies and federal cuts to Medicaid could raise the uninsured population in Florida to 17%, one of the highest rates in the country, according to the Florida Policy Institute.
HIV patients face fear and uncertainty
Activists report that many patients are confused and frightened by the possibility of being left without treatment. The average cost of private health insurance in Florida is around $1,500 per month, an amount that is unaffordable for thousands of people.
“If patients stop taking their HIV medication, we will face a huge public health problem”, warned Esteban Wood, noting that treatment interruption not only affects individuals, but also the control of the epidemic in general.
