State Ending HIV Assistance for More Patients

Mon, 07/26/2010 - 1:58pm | Staff Report
Filed Under:

The state plans to drop another 500 Ohioans from a program that pays for their HIV medications, in order to save Ohio nearly $3 million per year.

Officials are working on a plan to help only the sickest Ohioans with HIV pay for their medicine, said Jay Carey, a management analyst for the HIV drug program.

A story from the AP says, the plan, which Carey said will likely start next month, comes after 250 people were dropped from the program earlier this month.

The new cuts propose to limit eligibility based on a count that measures a type of white blood cell.

Earlier this month, the state placed a tighter limit on income eligibility for the program. It also issued a wait list, which means no one who is HIV-positive can start receiving assistance unless someone else stops getting the money. The wait list stands at 19 people and 30 more have applied.

State officials say the cuts are necessary because of an Ohio Department of Health projection of a $16.4 million deficit.

Click here to read more of this story from the AP.

Share this

Recent News and Opinion

Ohio AG Praises New Cyber Fraud Legislation | 02/02/2012 - 9:49am
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine praised this week's passage by the Ohio House of Representatives of new legislation that will strengthen his ability to go after cyber fraud and assist in...
State Kicks Off Don't Get Me Started Campaign | 02/01/2012 - 8:33am
Continuing the state's efforts to address the growing problem of prescription drug addiction, Tuesday Director Orman Hall, of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS),...
Eight Marion Area Blood Drives in February | 02/01/2012 - 8:40am
The American Red Cross will conduct open blood drives at the following Marion County locations this month:
Marion Officer Attacked by Dog During Drug Raid | 02/03/2012 - 7:57am
A Marion Police Department detective was seriously injured when he was bitten by a dog while attempting to make arrests for drug trafficking at a home on Avondale Avenue Thursday afternoon. Officials...