US waiting lists increase by over 300% in five months

1 October 2010. Related: Treatment access.

In a new perspective on treatment access, in April 2010 we reported that almost 900 people were on waiting lists in the US for access to treatment on the ADAP public assistance programme.

Within five months this figure has more than tripled, and in September it reached 3,214 people in 9 states.

Cost-containment strategies instituted over the last years included reducing formularies, lowering the level of financial eligibility, using a CD4 threshold of <350 cells/mm3, initiating waiting lists, capping enrollment and capping use of T-20.

For an update on the states with waiting lists and other cost containment measures go to the ADAP Watch update at: http://www.nastad.org