Florida healthcare advocates protest cuts to state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program

Protestors rally against cuts to AIDS assistance program

Outside the Department of Health in St. Pete and Orlando Friday, healthcare advocates and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation protested the proposed cuts to Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program. FOX 13's Kailey Tracy reports.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Outside the Department of Health in St. Pete and Orlando Friday, healthcare advocates and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) protested the proposed cuts to Florida’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).

"These are people’s lives," Ryan Franklin, a registered nurse who runs the St. Pete AHF clinic, said. "This is life or death."

The backstory:

Starting March 1, state officials are cutting income eligibility for the program from 400% of the federal poverty level, which is about $62,000 for one person, to 130%, which is about $21,000.

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 "I had a patient, his husband was in my office openly weeping into my shoulder a couple of days ago because the last time that there were funding cuts, the last that his husband that was off meds, they called hospice," Franklin said.

The Florida Department of Health says the cuts are to prevent a shortfall of $120 million. The cuts would also stop helping with health care premiums and stop offering one of the most popular HIV medications, Biktarvy.

What they're saying:

"It's a very real and consequential issue that we're dealing with," Florida’s Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said earlier this month, acknowledging the seriousness of the cuts. "Exponentially increasing in cost due to changes at the federal level, specifically related to the federal tax credits for Affordable Care Act (ACA) health plans."

The tax credits expired on Dec. 31.

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 The AHF sued the Florida Department of Health over the proposed cuts earlier this week.

"What we want all in leadership throughout the state of Florida that can change this is to know that we are talking about real people's lives," Imara Canady, AHF’s spokesperson, said. "This is not theoretical. This is not just a nice thing to do. We are talking about the lifesaving, reliant needs of real people across this state of Florida." 

What's next:

AHF’s leaders say they want a hearing on the issue before it’s too late. They say the cuts would directly impact more than 16,000 working Floridians who rely on insurance and ADAP support.

"Putting people before budgets is what we're asking, asking for a hearing, asking for a real discussion," Franklin said.

FOX 13 reached out to the Florida Department of Health Friday and hadn’t heard back at the time this article was published.