Thousands of people in Pennsylvania living with HIV are about to lose support for medications and healthcare they need to survive. Pennsylvania recently changed the rules so less people qualify for help paying for HIV medication through the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). This applies to new applicants and people who were eligible before and now may be cut off.

This means working people who are struggling to pay their bills and outrageous health care premiums that have skyrocketed since health care subsidies expired will lose support for expensive medication and insurance. This is dangerous and cruel. 

HIV drugs are getting even more expensive and the assistance program is the only way patients can afford them. Stopping treatment means that HIV could spread and new AIDS cases could increase. The government’s lack of humanity and concern for vulnerable people in this country is infuriating, but sadly not surprising. 

People who have lost access to support are panicking. They’re trying to stretch and ration their medication. That’s also extremely dangerous because if the virus grows in people who are only partially protected, it can become resistant to medications. That resistant virus can then be passed on to others.

This is a huge slap in the face to the community and sets medical progress back decades. This is a public health and humanitarian crisis. We can’t let this happen. We can’t play with people’s lives. This is the ONLY OPTION for thousands of people with the virus in Pennsylvania.

We call on Governor Josh Shapiro, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and state legislative leaders to take immediate action to protect access to HIV treatment. That means reversing cuts to eligibility and securing emergency state funding for ADAP if necessary. No one should be forced to ration medication, skip doses, or choose between paying rent and staying alive.

Sign to tell our leaders to make the clear choice and do the right thing.