MINNESOTA: State May Drop Some from HIV Program

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2005. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

MINNESOTA: State May Drop Some from HIV Program

Star Tribune (Minneapolis) (12.07.05) - Friday, December 09, 2005
Glenn Howatt

The Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) recently reiterated that it has legal authority to deny services to clients who owe money for HIV/AIDS Program services. HAP helps people with HIV/AIDS buy prescription drugs and maintain private health insurance. Clients owing $500-$1,000 in cost- sharing payments could be dropped; three already have been, and another eight might be cut this month.

In 2004, to reverse HAP's fiscal shortfall, created in part by growing enrollment, DHS instituted monthly client fees. "Cost sharing has allowed us to avoid any waiting lists or changes in benefits," said Loren Coleman, DHS assistant commissioner.

However, critics say the state's denial of HIV therapy or insurance to debtor patients is too high a price.

"There is a special need to maintain anti-HIV medications," said Dr. Frank Rhame of the Doctors Allina Medical Clinic in Minneapolis. "When you omit HIV doses, you take a chance, depending on the circumstances, of your virus developing resistance."

About 675 HAP clients subsidize part of the state's cost for their health care. The average client's income is 100-300 percent of the federal poverty line, or $9,600-$29,000 per individual. Prescription co-payments are $1-$3 each, with a monthly $20 limit, while insurance cost-sharing is 1-7 percent of income.

"That might not sound like much, but remember that these are people at low income levels, and most of them are stretched already with expenses," said Lorraine Teel, executive director of Minnesota AIDS Project.

State workers are attempting to find alternate funding sources for those scheduled to be cut by HAP, said Coleman.
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