TENNESSEE: HIV/AIDS Program Has Wait

Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.

TENNESSEE: HIV/AIDS Program Has Wait

Knoxville News-Sentinel (11.09.09) - Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Associated Press

Tennessee's AIDS Drug Assistance Program has begun placing prospective new enrollees on a waiting list for the first time since its inception in the early 1990s, state health officials say. The state's ADAP has reached its capacity - both because unemployment has pressured more patients to seek its assistance, and state HIV numbers have continued to grow, said Dr. Carolyn Wester, Tennessee's medical director for HIV/AIDS and STDs.

Tennessee's ADAP was assisting 3,367 HIV/AIDS patients in June, compared to 2,706 last year. Though the state and federal governments fund ADAP, the federal portion has grown only slightly since 2005, totaling $25.3 million this year, Wester said. "We recognize the urgency of the issue, but we fortunately have had a chance to plan," she told the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

"Our number-one goal is to continue to provide access to high- quality HIV-related services and medications to as many individuals in Tennessee as possible," Wester said. Most deferred patients will be able to get their medications through pharmaceutical companies' assistance programs, said Wester, who hopes additional federal support will be forthcoming.

In addition to Tennessee, eight other states have ADAP waiting lists: Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming.
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