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ACTION ALERT

Urge Your Members of Congress To Ask For Full ADAP Funding In Their
Appropriations Request Letters

Earlier this month, President Bush started the Fiscal Year 2007
appropriations process with the release of his proposed budget. He is
proposing a $70 million increase for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program
(ADAP), to assist states in addressing waiting lists for lifesaving
drugs.  The identified need is $196.6 million to ensure that all ADAPs
around the country are able to provide a basic level of service to
everyone who needs it.  Years of insufficient funding have created a
crisis in the program, with many states having to restrict access to
treatment through waiting lists and other measures.

In the next few weeks, all Senators and Representatives will write their
"programmatic appropriations request letters", which asks members of the
Appropriations Subcommittees to support funding for their priorities.
These letters play a crucial role in educating key decisionmakers about
the importance of programs like ADAP.

The first thing you can do this year to fight for ADAP funding is to
contact your elected representatives and ask them to include ADAP in
their programmatic appropriations request letter. Please take a few
minutes to make these important phone calls!

How you can help:

By March 9th, call your U.S. Representative and by March 31st call your
two U.S. Senators in their Washington, DC offices. Ask to speak to the
staff person who handles HIV/AIDS and healthcare issues. Whether you
speak to this person live or leave a message, tell them:

"My name is ____________ and I live in City/State. I am calling to urge
Representative/Senator________________ to include funding for the AIDS
Drug Assistance Program in his/her Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations
request letter. This program provides access to lifesaving treatment for
people with HIV and AIDS who otherwise wouldn't be able to afford it."

Below is sample language that your representatives can use when writing
their request letters. Offer to email or fax it to the staff person.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------
FY07 Appropriations Request for Ryan White AIDS Drug Assistance Program
(ADAP)

Mr. Chairman, as your Subcommittee begins work on the Fiscal Year 2007
appropriations bill for Labor/HHS/Education, I wanted to call your
attention to the very real needs of Americans living with HIV/AIDS.  As
you know, the Ryan White CARE Act's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP)
makes it possible for low-income Americans to access and afford the
drugs to treat HIV/AIDS.  Today, over 135,000 Americans depend on ADAP
to preserve and extend their lives. 

Unfortunately, dozens of states are finding themselves unable to keep up
with the demand for patients in need of coverage under ADAP and many
states have been forced to take drastic action to offset funding
shortfalls, including closing their programs to new patients, putting
patients on waiting lists, reducing drug coverage, denying access to new
and innovative treatments, and restricting eligibility to lower and
lower income thresholds.

In my state of (x), (as relevant, add line or 2 on specific state ADAP
program)

While I am appreciative of the President's budget request of a $70
million increase over the Fiscal Year 2006 ADAP program, it is simply
too little to keep pace with those in need of these life-saving
treatments.  According to the National ADAP Working Group, an increase
of $196.6 million above the current FY06 ADAP funding level is what is
needed to care for current and new patients in the coming fiscal year.

This "need" number objectively represents the amount that would allow
each state to promptly enroll clients under their original eligibility
rules-before the introduction of caps and other cost-containment
strategies. The restrictions currently in place, including waiting
lists, lead to dangerous treatment interruptions, which increase
morbidity, encourage drug resistance, and discourage patient retention
in care, all of which have profound effects on public health.

Therefore, I urge your support for a $196.6 million increase for ADAP in
the Fiscal Year 2007 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education
Appropriations bill.

Thank you, on behalf of my state and those living with HIV/AIDS, for
your careful consideration of this request.




Murray C. Penner, Deputy Executive Director of Domestic Programs
National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors
444 N. Capitol Street, NW, Suite 339, Washington, DC  20001
Phone: (202) 434-8090  Fax:  (202) 434-8092
mpenner@...        www.NASTAD.org

"Bridging Science, Policy, and Public Health"

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