Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1997. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
San Francisco Chronicle - The Voice of the West, 901 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94119 - Saturday, May 10, 1997 - Page C1
Robert B. Gunnison, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau
In his proposed budget in January, Wilson said the state would contribute $27.3 million to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, which would have totaled $83.9 million when federal and other sources of money were included.
But as the governor prepares the revised version of his spending plan, it was learned that he will add another $12.9 million so the full anticipated costs of the program will be met.
The increase is one of several Wilson is expected to make to the spending plan because the state is expected to collect $825 million more in tax revenue than the administration expected in January.
According to Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill, at least 80 percent of the new revenues will go to schools, as require by voter-approved Proposition 98.
What money is left over, the governor plans to allocate to other state programs, like the fight against AIDS.
That news thrilled Assemblywoman Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, who has been lobbying for months to restore the full amount. "The governor did right," Migden said. "The governor has his compassion. There's been an open-mindedness. That's refreshing."
The AIDS drug program has grown from $9.3 million in 1990 to nearly 10 times that amount for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The number of eligible drugs has increased from two to 49, with another two pending approval.
HIV-positive people with no Medi-Cal coverage are eligible for free drugs if their adjusted gross income is lower than $31,560. Those with incomes between that amount and $50,000 must make a co-payment.
The program has grown in recent years because of the development of new drugs and new ways of using the medicines to slow the effects of the virus. Last year, three protease inhibitors were added to the list of eligible drugs.
"Utilization rates for these drugs and demand for new combination therapies have since proven much greater for California than was previously estimated," according to a Department of Finance analysis of the issue.
Because of the new therapies, the analysis said, "ADAP clients are staying healthier, delaying disease progression and deferring the disability required to qualify for Medi-Cal," the state's health insurance program for the poor.
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