ADAP Advocacy has launched a new interactive grassroots advocacy hub as part of its reactivated national campaign, "ADAP Saves Lives: End the Wait," the organization announced. The hub is designed to equip patient advocates and community activists with resources and tools to defend the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) at both federal and state levels.
The timing is critical. ADAP waiting lists are popping up in Iowa and Utah—now affecting over 1,000 clients—and 15 other states are facing budget deficits. According to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), federal appropriations for ADAP account for a vanishingly small percentage of the national ADAP budget (NASTAD, 2026). In FY2024, federal funding accounted for 29%, and state-level funding for just 4%, with over half of the program's budget attributed to drug rebates. This funding structure leaves ADAP vulnerable to economic and political shifts, making grassroots advocacy essential to protect access to care for people living with HIV.
Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy, stated: "ADAP Advocacy has spent the last few months building out its state grassroots networks, which were vital to the success of securing additional resources during the last ADAP crisis from 2009-2013. Our new grassroots advocacy hub is designed to arm patient advocates and community activists with as many resources and tools as possible, combining old-school and new-age tactics."
The grassroots advocacy hub features dedicated resource centers for individual states, with information, content, and messaging that reflect that state's ADAP situation. Each state's resource center includes grassroots advocacy toolkits, social media advocacy toolkits, a search tool for members of Congress, "Take Action" communication tools such as emails and social shares, an event planning and calendar management platform, and public service announcements, which are coming soon. Initially, state resource centers are available for the six states ADAP Advocacy considers at greatest risk for widespread potential access barriers: Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Utah. Additional states will be added on a rolling basis.
Michelle Anderson, ADAP Advocacy's Grassroots Advocacy Director, shared: "Yet again, people living with HIV have a fight on their hands, and this battle centers on ensuring patients have access to timely, appropriate treatment. What I'm most proud of about this new hub is how it puts those very same patients at the center of this advocacy campaign and lets them tell their stories. ADAP Advocacy is committed to creating an environment that promotes organic, bottom-up advocacy, and this new hub creates the space for that to happen."
The hub is available online at https://www.adapadvocacy.org/adap-saves-lives. ADAP stakeholders interested in federal public policy centered on ADAPs should visit https://www.adapadvocacy.org/policycenter/adaps#/1/.
The launch matters because ADAP provides life-saving medications to low-income people living with HIV, and waiting lists can lead to treatment interruptions, worsened health outcomes, and increased transmission. With federal and state funding covering only a third of the program's budget, drug rebates shoulder most of the cost—a precarious arrangement when drug pricing or rebate policies change. By organizing patients and activists at the state level, ADAP Advocacy aims to replicate the success of the 2009-2013 crisis, when grassroots pressure helped secure additional resources. The hub's state-specific toolkits and communication tools lower the barrier for individuals to contact lawmakers, share their stories, and plan events, potentially amplifying voices that are often overlooked in budget debates. For the HIV community, this represents a coordinated effort to prevent access barriers before they spread, while for policymakers, it signals that patients are organized and watching. The coming months will test whether this bottom-up approach can influence appropriations and state budgets as deficits loom in 17 states.
