April 1, 1999

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Dr. John R. Lumpkin, state public health director, announced that beginning today the benefits cap for the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) will be doubled to $2,000 a month.

The increased spending limit will support triple and quadruple combination therapies, the so-called drug cocktails that have offered so much promise in treating persons with HIV infection and have been credited with dramatic reductions in AIDS cases, and treatments for opportunistic infections most frequently associated with HIV.

"We continue to make improvements that ensure the Illinois drug assistance program is one of the most comprehensive in the nation," Dr. Lumpkin said. "The new cap means that those who need these drugs will not have to worry about bumping up against a spending limit. As additional drugs come on the market, we will adjust the program to meet the changing needs of the clients."

ADAP provides HIV-related pharmaceutical treatments for free to non-Medicaid eligible/P Ppersons with HIV/AIDS who earn less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($32,960 for a single person) and are not eligible for prescription drug coverage through insurance or other government subsidies. ADAP provides 67 different drugs, including all anti-retroviral therapies approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Approximately 1,700 persons a month are eligible for ADAP. Physicians send or call prescriptions to Stadtlanders Pharmacy of Pittsburgh, PA, the ADAP contracting pharmacy, which, in turn, distributes the drugs by mail to eligible participants.

The current $1,000-a-month cap was instituted in June 1997. The benefits cap increase was made possible by additional state and federal funding for the program. In the current fiscal year, an estimated $15 million is expected to be spent on the program and Gov. George Ryan's proposed fiscal year 2000 budget includes $21 million for ADAP.

The Department took over administration of ADAP from the Illinois Department of Public Aid on Oct. 1, 1991. At the time, the program's budget was $1.5 million.

Illinois Department of Public Health 535 West Jefferson Street Springfield, Illinois 62761 Phone 217-782-4977 Fax 217-782-3987 TTY 800-547-0466 Questions or Comments