The Problems With ADAPs

In an attempt to address issues surrounding the nation's ailing AIDS Drug Assistance Programs and to suggest a solution to minimize waste and direct more funds to patients in need, Oakland, Calif.'based Public Health Service Bureau has issued a report estimating that between $40 million and $60 million of ADAP-related Ryan White funding could be more efficiently used through the implementation of a national ADAP enrollment system. Among the problems: ' A Department of Health and Human Services report on Puerto Rico's program showed that 81 out of 100 patients had other sources of potential coverage for their medication. Puerto Rico does not have a system in place to ensure it is the payer of last resort. ' At least 10% of ADAP patients in Florida are eligible for Veterans Affairs medical benefits. ' Comparisons of state ADAP rosters have shown many bordering states share clients. With an average cost of therapy per ADAP client per month of $1,061, states could save more than $125,000 for every 10 duplicates located. ' When Hurricane Katrina hit, more than 21,000 people living with HIV were in the affected areas. The influx of evacuees challenged states like Texas, whose ADAP needed to establish eligibility for people with no documentation of their having HIV. The consequences were potentially significant for patients since most experts agree that stopping anti-HIV medications for only a short period of time can result in drug resistance.