ADAP clients warn of immediate coverage losses as Senate funds a bridge in budget

Michael Emmanuel Rainer, an AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) client, urged the Senate Appropriations Committee to press the Department of Health to delay administrative changes he said will terminate clients' coverage before the legislature's budget solution takes effect.

"The Department of Health has not halted its changes that are set for March 1... they have told their contracted processor not to pay premiums for the month of March," Rainer testified, saying many clients face imminent loss of access to HIV medications. He told senators that half of ADAP’s roughly 32,000 clients statewide were being terminated or feared termination and described clients stockpiling medicines and skipping doses to cope with uncertainty.

Rainer asked the committee to use its budget authority to provide bridge funding and to work with the governor’s office and DOH to halt the administrative changes until the legislature’s solution is implemented. Chair Hooper responded that "we are continuing to have discussions with Department of Health to address the issue," and committee staff and chairs noted the Senate proposal includes funding to stabilize ADAP.

The committee did not receive statements from DOH during the hearing and did not record a DOH representative responding on the record. Senators and witnesses urged continued coordination so payments and premium processing do not create gaps before budget enactment.