Tag Archives: Sequestration

The Devastating Impact of Sequestration on ADAP in the South: Sequestration Would Leave Thousands of People without Access to Life-saving Medications

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By Terrance Moore, Director of Policy and Health Equity, NASTAD

The Impact of Sequestration on ADAP in the SouthEditor’s Note: Since the publishing of the post below, sequestration has begun to take effect. While the cuts technically start March 1, the true effects of the cuts will not be felt until FY2013 funding is resolved. The federal government is currently funded under a continuing resolution until March 27. Sequestration’s effects will not be felt until final funding awards are made after March 27.

Today, we released a fact sheet on the devastating impact of sequestration on the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). Sequestration, the automatic across-the-board spending cuts, originally created in the Budget Control Act of 2011, is currently scheduled to take place tomorrow, March 1. Sequestration will result in up to 15,000 clients losing access to life-saving medications they receive via ADAP. Up to half of the people that will be disenrolled live in the South, which as of 2010 accounted for 45 percent of all new AIDS diagnoses in the U.S. Continue reading →

Standing Up for an AIDS-Free Generation on World AIDS Day

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By Julie Scofield, Executive Director, NASTAD

Standing Up for an AIDS-Free GenerationTomorrow is World AIDS Day and as I reflect on the past year, I realize that collectively, many developments over the past year are very important in our fight to eradicate HIV here at home and abroad. At AIDS 2012, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said “We have a historic opportunity — with science on our side — to make the achievement of an AIDS-free generation a reality,” and he is right. We are in the midst of implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which will increase access to and quality of care for people living with HIV. Pre-exposure prophylaxis and the first over-the-counter HIV test were both approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Just last week the United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a draft recommendation in strong support of routine HIV testing for all adolescents and adults ages 15 through 65, pregnant women, and others at increased risk for HIV younger than 15 and older than 65 by assigning it a Grade “A”. This is a monumental shift in the USPSTF’s previous recommendation of testing only for people who are “at risk” for HIV and pregnant women.  Under the ACA, this recommendation will require that HIV tests for all be reimbursed by private insurers.
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The Potential Impact of Sequestration on HIV and Hepatitis Programs

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Julie Scofield, Executive Director, NASTAD

Julie Scofield, Executive Director, NASTAD

By Julie Scofield, Executive Director, NASTAD

In January 2013, budget cuts totaling approximately 8 percent of spending across federal programs are set to go into effect as result of an agreement made between Congress and the White House last summer in the debate over raising the debt ceiling. As part of this agreement, the failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction to produce a bill by November 23, 2011, identifying budgetary savings of at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years, has triggered an automatic spending reduction process known as sequestration.

The Impact on U.S. States and Territories

NASTAD recently worked with state AIDS directors to conduct an analysis of the impact of sequestration on HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis programs. NASTAD found that state HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis programs will have to eliminate prevention initiatives, remove clients from AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAP) and other vital health coverage services and layoff critical health department program staff. Continue reading →

The Devastating Impact of Budget Sequestration on State HIV and Hepatitis Programs (and How You Can Help Stop It)

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By Randy Mayer, Chief, Bureau of HIV, STD, and Hepatitis, Iowa Department of Public Health

Editor’s note: This letter was originally sent to NASTAD members and was published with the permission of the author.

Randy Mayer, Chief, Bureau of HIV, STD, and Hepatitis, Iowa Department of Public Health

Randy Mayer, Chief, Bureau of HIV, STD, and Hepatitis, Iowa Department of Public Health

Dear Colleagues,

As previously reported by NASTAD, the Budget Control Act of 2011’s sequestration process will result in a cut of up to $1.2 trillion starting in January 2013. This will mean an 8.2 percent cut to HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis programs. NASTAD’s analysis of these cuts to HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis programs found that:

  • 15,708 enrolled clients will be removed from ADAP
  • 412 HIV positive people will not find out their status due to cuts to testing funding
  • Ryan White Program Part B grants will be cut by over $34 million
  • HIV prevention by health departments will be cut by $28 million
  • HIV surveillance by health departments will be cut by $9.7 million
  • Viral hepatitis prevention will be cut by $1.6 million, an amount which currently funds nine viral hepatitis prevention coordinators (VHPC)

Continue reading →