More than 128,000 Floridians are living with HIV. The state has the second-highest rate of new HIV diagnoses after Georgia, with approximately 4,500 new diagnoses in 2023, the most recent year for which data is available. But access to treatment could be in jeopardy if potential budget cuts announced in January 2026 by the Florida Department of Health are enacted, set to go into effect March 1.
The Florida AIDS Drug Assistance Program helps more than 31,000 Floridians with HIV/AIDS afford care. Since its creation in 1996, it has been funded through the Ryan White CARE Act, passed into law in 1990, which ensures people with HIV have access to clinical care, housing support, nutrition, case management, and behavioral and substance use care, as well as access to medications to treat HIV and complications. More than half of those served by the program earn less than $22,024 per year, which is 138% of the federal poverty level.
Proposed Changes
The Florida Department of Health says it is facing a $120 million budget shortfall and that federal Ryan White funds are no longer enough to keep the program going without major cuts to services. The proposed cuts would stiffen eligibility from 400% of the federal poverty level (about $88,000 per year) down to 130% (about $21,000 per year). This would immediately remove financial support used by about 16,000 patients to access lifesaving medications. The cuts would also stop program funds from being used to purchase health insurance for eligible patients, and proposed changing which drugs the program can cover by removing Biktarvy, the recommended and most commonly prescribed drug for treating HIV.
Without access to insurance coverage and medication, these patients face worse health outcomes, and HIV transmission is likely to increase, ultimately leading to higher health care costs in Florida and more deaths from HIV/AIDS. AIDS Healthcare Foundation is suing the Florida Department of Health to require the normal rulemaking process for program changes. An administrative judge has approved an expedited hearing for the lawsuit and will issue a ruling before March 1.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://carrollspaper.com/lifestyles/health/florida-s-proposed-cuts-to-aids-drug-program-threaten-patient-care-and-public-health/article_0610f865-a2f4-5e00-96e4-78dd766c3b0c.html