A NOTE FROM SUE — It’s About Medications for HIV/AIDS
Good Afternoon, Everyone …
It is May 31st, and the Virginia Budget Conferees are making decisions about items in the state's budget of interest to you — other than transportation.
As reported in the Daily Press yesterday morning, "A breakthrough came last week when the Senate agreed to unhitch transportation-related tax increases from its budget proposal. That concession to the House of Delegates leaves a final decision on road and transit funding for weeks or months down the road.
"Negotiators now aim to reconcile competing spending plans for museum funding, civil servant pensions, hard-to-staff schools, and a host of relatively minor issues." (Emphasis added.)
You're read my notes before about the one — "relatively minor issue" — that VORA is hoping will get the "Yes" sign.
We need Item 289 — State Pharmaceutical Assistance Plan for persons living with HIV/AIDS.
YOUR note to your Delegate and Senator is critically important right now for this One Item! Your Senator needs to be thanked for the Senate's recommendation that $300,000 each year be used for this program. And Your Delegate should be asked to promote this program to the House Budget Conferees.
Diana Jordan with the Va Department of Health wrote me this …
"Funding for the State Pharmaceutical Assistance Program (SPAP) would provide much needed assistance with Medicare Part D cost sharing for low-income people with HIV and AIDS. Assistance through an SPAP would enable these individuals to access the full coverage level of the Part D benefit. By fully utilizing the new Part D benefit, access to medications will improve for this population and scarce ADAP resources can be conserved to serve the remaining clients in need. This is particularly important in light of the recent federal ADAP funding cut."
Diana Jordan, RN, MS
Director of Health Care Services, Division of Disease Prevention
Virginia Department of Health
We need Item 289 to be Approved for the Final 2006-2008 Biennial budget.
Please — Call or email your Delegate and Senator today —
For more information, visit www.VORAonline.org ….
And Thank you.
Sue
Susan R. Rowland, MPA
Virginia Organizations Responding to AIDS
PO Box 4780
Woodbridge, VA 22194-4780
703-626-7392
703-494-1489 (fax: Woodbridge)
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