Georgia’s waiting list for HIV drug is longest in nation

More than 1,300 people are waiting for assistance

We’re No. 1 in yet another terrible thing, reports Andy Miller of the always excellent Georgia Health News:

The number of people on the waiting list for the state’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) stood at 1,348 on Jan. 19. Florida’s waiting list is the second-longest at 1,109, according to figures compiled by the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors.

ADAP serves HIV-infected people who have low or moderate incomes and no health insurance. HIV is the virus that causes AIDS, and drug treatment is a key factor in preventing infected people from developing the full-scale disease.

Without enough funding to keep pace with demand for help, Georgia’s ADAP waiting list developed in July 2010. It reached more than 1,700 before the state received $3 million in federal funding last fall.

According to Jeff Graham of Georgia Equality, many people on the waiting list — which could cost $15 million to eliminate — are receiving treatment through special programs offered by drug companies. But there’s still a danger that people could fall through the cracks.