Michael Rajner

Fort Lauderdale – Florida’s AIDS Drugs Assistance Program (ADAP), which provides public assistance to more than 10,000 Floridians who cannot afford lifesusta in

ing AIDS drugs, will run out of funding in February. The program has a $14.5 million funding gap that could continue until the new funding year beings April 1. Additionally, there are 2,800 patients in Florida on a waiting list for AIDS medications – more than half the 5,100 patients on ADAP waiting lists around the country.

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has been working diligently to address the ADAP crisis in Florida. On Jan. 21, he sent a letter to Florida Gov. Rick Scott urging him to make this crisis a high priority and find state resources to keep Florida’s ADAP program fully operating over the next few months. Additionally, Sen. Nelson sent a letter to President Barack Obama requesting that federal ADAP funding be increased in his next budget proposal.

“Florida’s ADAP crisis is a very serious public health situation that needs to be addressed immediately. This is life and death for some individuals,” said Michael Rajner, Florida GLBT Democratic Caucus legislative director. “We commend Sen. Nelson for his tireless efforts to address the matter and hope Governor Scott will do all he can to alleviate the short-term funding gap with state resources. As a Floridian living with AIDS, I can attest to the fact that the life-saving medications patients receive from this program are vital to sustaining their health.”