The federal government has shaved about five percent off its annual contribution to care for AIDS and HIV patients in New Hampshire. As the need increased across the country, the federal government had to spread its funding thinner. This comes at a time when the state needs more money than ever before.
The federal government has shaved about five percent off its annual contribution to care for AIDS and HIV patients in New Hampshire.
As the need increased across the country, the federal government had to spread its funding thinner.
As NHPR’s Kerry Grens reports, this comes at a time when the state needs more money than ever before.
Several hundred AIDS and HIV patients in New Hampshire receive medical care, community support, and medications through the federal Ryan White CARE Act.
State medical director Dr. William Kassler says that number is expected to rise several dozen this year.
Kassler: At the same time we see a decrease in funding, and an increase in clients, we have an increase in the cost per client. 672 dollar increase in cost per client. We now pay on average over 9000 dollars per client per year for life saving HIV medication.
Kassler says that with rising costs and new funding cuts, the state will run about 1.7 million dollars short of what it needs to continue providing the same services.
Kassler: Now clearly, we can’t deficit spend so we are going to have to look at the amount of services, the amount of clients, potentially establishing a waitlist, potentially restricting the formulary of the medications that we can pay for.
This leaves agencies like the Southern New Hampshire AIDS Task Force scrambling for solutions.
The Task Force’s respite care program has already been eliminated
Elaine Rotolo, executive director, says she now has to pick and chose which clients can get services.
Rotolo: We have been an agency known to serve anyone in Hillsboro county regardless of age, race, religion, income, living with HIV or AIDS. What we’re having to look at obviously is serving clients with the most medical needs.
For some services, like respite care, the Task Force will look to volunteers to take up the slack.
But she says that other things will be difficult to make up.
For example they’ve already lost a case manager who handles about 35 clients.
Rotolo: And without the case management, a lot of our clients will not see their physician, they will forget to take their medications, they won’t get medications refilled, they need that constant guidance throughout their care. So it’s a real critical piece that we’re going to be losing.
John Auerbach, the executive director of the Boston Health Commission, says saving money by cutting these services will only cost money later.
Auerbach: There may not be alternative options for people. And that may mean that we see a rise in the number of people who become symptomatic, or sicker, and they may end up in hospital settings rather than being cared for or living in a community setting.
Boston saw an eight percent cut in its funding from the Ryan White Care Act this year.
And that affects New Hampshire too.
Boston gives 17 percent of its funding to this state, even though New Hampshire makes up only five percent of the Boston area’s clients.
This is because, unlike Massachusetts, New Hampshire currently has no state dollars going to serve AIDS patients.
Dr. Kassler is hoping that will change as Governor Lynch’s budget proposal includes 180 thousand dollars in AIDS funding.
Kassler: The 180,000 per year is certainly a start. But it doesn’t begin to make up for some of the potentially devastating funding losses if Ryan White is reauthorized in a different way.
Kassler fear’s is that when Congress reauthorizes Ryan White this year, New Hampshire may no longer be able to use Boston’s shrinking budget as a crutch.
For NHPR News, this is Kerry Grens.
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