FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (February 26, 2026) – AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today called on President Donald Trump to intervene and save the lives of thousands of people living with HIV who depend on the federally funded AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP).
“The Florida Department of Health has unilaterally decided that on March 1 it will reduce ADAP eligibility for 16,000 people living with HIV in the state who depend on ADAP for life-saving treatment,” said AHF Southern Bureau Chief Tracy Jones. “For ADAP to work, states must also contribute their share of funds along with rebates from prescription drug manufacturers. Even though many Florida state legislators want to fully fund the state’s share of ADAP, the Department of Health announced that on March 1, it will terminate ADAP coverage for 16,000 people living with HIV. And in addition, the Department said it will no longer pay for the most prescribed HIV drug necessary to suppress the virus that causes AIDS.”
“President Trump, in your first term, you started a program called ‘Ending the Epidemic,’ whose goal is to end the HIV epidemic by 2030. Florida is critical to that goal, and these cuts would move us backward. Without an immediate reversal of this decision, next week, thousands of Floridians will be kicked off a program that keeps them alive,” added Jones. “Mr. President, don’t let Florida become the first state to undermine your legacy on HIV.”
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