Programs

Bridge The Gap

As of December 7, 2009, nine (9) states around the country have AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) enrollment waiting lists with a total of 418 people on the combined rolls. In essence, several HIV infected persons living in the US who qualify and are eligible to enroll into the ADAP program and receive ADAP covered medications are not. Their health, medical futures, and lives are at stake. They have no other means as they are uninsured or underinsured and living in the United States of America.

The 418 patients with HIV/AIDS on waiting lists reside in Arkansas 9, Iowa 27, Kentucky 128, Montana 18, Nebraska 30, South Dakota 14, Tennessee 142, Utah 37, and Wyoming 13. Waiting lists have grown by 167% since September 2008.

By early 2010, more are also possible in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, and counting.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, in 2007 there were 529 individuals on an ADAP enrollment waiting list in multiple states across the U.S. It was reported that during 2007, some wait-listed patients in South Carolina died due to lack of access to medications.

The BTG program literally saves lives using the most cost-effective means possible. To date, we have successfully provided funding for 35 wait-listed persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) in Montana to obtain needed prescription drugs for one year in 2007 and 2008.

It is anticipated that with the combined current U.S. economic downturn and newly expanding HIV screening and testing initiatives, these waiting lists will only increase with extremely higher numbers by early 2010 and continue to grow as new infections are discovered.

FHF created the BTG program to help ensure that the life-saving medication needs of every low-income person living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. are met. One hundred (100) percent of FHF grant and individual donor contributions go directly to programs that benefit underserved individuals. Moreover, registration, enrollment, and other administrative mechanisms for BTG are managed at no cost to FHF.

The number of marginalized PLWHA in the U.S. who are not able to obtain HIV medications is alarming. The FHF supports advocates who consistently work to affect public policy level for this unacceptable situation and insure adequate government funding is allocated for these purposes in the future. For now, however, PLWHA are literally dying while waiting for medications.

To date, Flowers Heritage Foundation is the only organization that organizes and contributes to this cause. However, we need support from friends, family, advocates, and all others to step up and "Adopt a Patient" for our Bridge the Gap Program.