Fact Sheet: The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program – AIDS Drug Assistance Program

Background

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, administered by HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), funds primary health care, support services and life-saving medications for more than one-half million low-income, uninsured and underinsured people living with HIV/AIDS each year. Ryan White programs provide care and services in every state, major metropolitan areas, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and five Pacific U.S. jurisdictions. The AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) is the fastest growing component of all Ryan White programs. As of July 8, eleven States have a total of 2,074 people on ADAP waiting lists. In fact, 730 people joined that list in the month of June alone. To help address this growing need for life-saving medications, HHS will award $25 million to states that have ADAP waiting lists (as of July 8, 2010) or have implemented strategies to contain costs and delay or prevent a waiting list.

Increasing Need

There are many factors that have contributed to the increasing number of people in need of medications. These factors include but are not limited to:

the economic downturn which has resulted in: increases in the number of unemployed and uninsured individuals; loss of state general revenue devoted to ADAP activities and cutbacks in state-funded programs;
more HIV testing and linkage to care efforts for HIV positive people; and
access to medications and retention in care efforts have encouraged those already in the ADAP program to remain.

HRSA is in weekly contact with the ADAP directors in states that have ADAP waiting lists to help them address this growing need. Technical assistance is provided to these state programs to:

ensure that individuals on ADAP waiting lists have access to alternative resources for HIV/AIDS prescription drugs, such as manufacturer’s pharmaceutical patient assistance programs,
assess current drug purchasing methods to identify additional cost-saving opportunities, and
improve the methods used to forecast ADAP utilization.

Current Funding

On April 5, a total of $1.14 billion in Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Part B funds was awarded to all states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Pacific Island Territories. Out of this amount, $800 million (70 percent) was directed to the ADAP Program.
On April 12, $41.7 million in Part B ADAP Supplemental Grants were awarded to the 25 eligible States, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Additionally, HHS expects to award approximately $17.5 million in new Part B Supplemental Grant funds by August 1. States may use these additional funds to support their ADAP Programs. States may also allocate a portion of their Part B base funding for ADAP services.

New Funds Available Mid-August

HHS is reallocating and transferring $25 million in existing resources to provide funding to states that have ADAP waiting lists and other ADAP cost containment measures in place. These funds have been reallocated from dozens of programs from throughout HHS. It is anticipated that these new funds will be available to grantees by mid-August, 2010 and will meet the projected need through the end of the fiscal year.
To qualify, states will be required to use this funding to address current ADAP waiting lists and cost-containment measures.
For more information, states will receive a letter soon from HRSA on how to access these new funds. The deadline for applications is July 26, 2010.