1. AHF Advocacy

2. AGENDA INTRODUCTIONS ADVOCACY Definition Strategies AHF Advocacy ADAP What is ADAP? Current ADAP Crisis MEDIA FORMULA

3. ADVOCACY

4. What is Advocacy ? Communicating needs and voicing them to people who can help. Aimed at influencing public policy and decisions. In the case of people living with HIV and AIDS; advocacy is a tool for social and political change, to improve the quality of life for those infected and affected by the epidemic.

5. Advocacy Strategies Letter Writing Campaign Make phone calls Talk to others Banners Legislative Visits Form coalitions Protest Social Media Be active

6.  Legislation MEDI-CAL (MEDICAID) to cover hospice care for people dying of AIDS (1989) Insurance companies covering HIV testing (2008)  Engaging Elected Officials Senator Nelson of Florida Speaker Pelosi  Reduced Drug Pricing  Merck – Isentress  BMS – Reyataz  Boehringer Ingelheim - WelVista AHF Advocacy Efforts

7. AHF Advocacy

15. ADAP

16. What is ADAP? AIDS Drug Assistance Program It provides life saving medications to low- income, uninsured, & under-insured individuals living with HIV It’s a federal match program, to which both state and federal governments contribute It is the payer of last resort for people with no other resources to pay for their medications

17. ADAP Funding ** Taken from NASTAD Presentation at USCA 2010

18. Why are state ADAP’s in Crisis? More need: Higher unemployment rate  + uninsured people  more people are eligible for ADAP Economic Downturn has created budget deficits @ state level  need to cut spending More expensive program: Over the last 10 years the price of HIV meds have increased ADAP CRISIS

20. Advocacy Calculus Identify & Understand The Issue Identify the Players – Who is your target? What is your “ask”? – Be Specific

21. Media Formula  Press Advisory 2 weeks, 2 days, Day of  Press Statement 3 Speakers, 10 Words  Press Release Day Before, Send and Call *Press Kit (Hard Copies) to Reporters

22. Why you? We are in this together Its your right Its your life and your experience If not now…when? Accountability