March 29th is Texas HIV Advocacy Day,
a time for HIV advocates to talk
with lawmakers and policy makers
about some of the most important
HIV legislation for this session,
including funding for the
AIDS Drug Assistance Program.
Now joining us now is Mike Gifford,
President and CEO of Vibrant Health,
a local HIV healthcare,
Social Service and prevention agency.
Mike thank you so much for being
with us this afternoon. Thanks
for the opportunity to join in.
Now the topic of HIV and AIDS.
Here in Texas. It's nothing new,
but how has it changed
over the past few years?
Well, right now there's about 100,000
people living with HIV in Texas,
but 5000 new infections in any given year,
which means that there's a record
number of people with HIV who are in
need of care and treatment and support,
and I think that's really the big change.
There's a record need for
supporting people with HIV and AIDS,
and there's a great opportunity to
help them live a long and healthy life,
especially through things like
the Texas HIV Medication program.
Now, how does the HIV medication program
actually work? I know it's been,
it's been around for a few years now.
Yeah, it has been around for
quite awhile and it is a critical
answer to the fight against HIV.
In fact, it's probably one of the smartest
programs that the state of Texas runs,
and it's a smart program 'cause
it saves people's lives and
it reduces healthcare costs.
So it's a program that uses a couple
of different strategies to get people
access to health care when they're not
eligible for the state Medicaid program.
When they don't have private
insurance or they're not on Medicare,
get some access to the medications they need.
People live on long and healthy life,
and that's good for them 'cause they
can through those medications and
through the healthcare achieve what's
called an undetectable viral load,
which just means your HIV is
managed as best as possible.
So they're living healthy,
but also somebody has an
undetectable viral load,
has virtually no chance of
transmitting HIV to anybody else.
So not only is it a great care and
treatment program for the HIV patient,
but it's one of the most powerful
prevention strategies we have to
stop the spread of HIV in Texas.
Now, not long ago you received some news
that the Texas Department of Health
Services suffered a substantial budget
shortfall in its medication program.
What is that going to mean for
the people who depend on it?
Well, it's a $200 million program and
the shortfall is about $100 million,
so this is, as you suggest,
a very substantial issue and what it
could mean for people with HIV and AIDS
is that they lose access to medications.
They lose access to the health care that
they need to live that long and healthy life,
and it could mean the spread
of HIV in the community.
What it is meaning right now is
fierce advocacy to educate the state
legislators in the state Capitol.
About the need to find this $100
million invest in this program again,
this is one of the smartest programs
the state of Texas operates because
it saves lives and it saves money.
And we're hopeful that the state
legislature will come forward with the
funds necessary for sure that nobody
loses access to lifesaving medications.
And I was going to say have
any state lawmakers or policy
makers actually stepped up,
stepped in to see what can
be done about the situation?
Well, as in everything political
in the political system,
there's different viewpoints.
We're really glad that both the
House and the Senate are proposing
increases in funding for the program.
It's an outstanding example of Texas
is leadership in the fight against
HIV and and now we just need to
make sure that that increase in
funding gets all the way to that
$100 million to protect everybody.
Who's on the program.
Earlier we talked about 100,000
people with HIV in Texas,
one in five of them.
Get their medications through this
program so it's critically important.
Smartest program that Texas runs and
critically important one to help stop
the spread of HIV in the community.
With this budget shortfall,
how soon could people in
the program see themselves
without their medication? This
is actually a pretty urgent situation.
This debate in Department of
Health Services has certainly been
working to try to maintain as many
people on the program as possible.
They sent out some different messages
about changes to the program.
We're hopeful that in
this legislative session,
in the next several weeks that
the legislature will fill this
hole and nobody will lose access
to their medications, but.
If they don't,
it certainly could happen
as early as this summer.
And is there anything else that
you'd like to add about this?
I mean, it's such an important
subject for so many people
here in the state of Texas.
I think it's important for people
to understand where we're in,
where we're at, in the fight against HIV.
In Texas and in our country,
nobody should die of HIV.
In fact, nobody should
contract HIV in the 1st place.
We've got all the tools necessary
to stop this epidemic.
Save for a vaccine.
But every other tool that we need
powerful prevention strategies,
great care and treatment for
people with HIV and AIDS supports
that they can overcome another
challenges in their lives.
And the question is,
do we have the societal will?
Do we have the political will to
implement all that's necessary
to get to that collective vision
of a world without AIDS?
And I hope that the state
legislature in Texas steps up and
does their part by fully funding
the Texas HIV Medication program.
All right, we will be keeping a very close
eye on this funding situation. Mike effort.
Thank you so much again for joining us
today. Thank you very much.