For the first time in history, the budget proposes a co-payment for persons receiving life saving HIV drugs from the California AIDS Drug Assistance Program, ADAP. To many, the co-payments would be substantial given that the program already serves very low income, medically indigent people with HIV/AIDS.

In addition to the proposed ADAP co-payments, the budget puts a cap on the number of medical visits a person can receive through the Medi-Cal system and implements additional co-payments for medical services. All in all, the budget reduces expenditures for the medically indigent and the poor. In total, proposed cuts to health and human services programs include $1.7 Billion to Medi-Cal, $1.5 Billion from CalWorks and reductions in services for Healthy Families and numerous other programs.

Medi-Cal co-pays: $5 co-payments on physician/clinic/dental/and pharmacy visits are proposed. A $50 co-payment on emergency room visits; and a $100 per day co-payment ($200 maximum) for hospital stays. Medi-Cal 10% provider rate cut. The state is proposing to pay physicians who take Medi-Cal patients 10% less. This has a potential impact to reduce the number of physicians willing to take the State’s insurance. The State is proposing to provide less to Medi-Cal Beneficiaries, or Utilization Controls. There is a proposed limitation on the number of physician or clinic visits to 10 per year and limits on the number of prescription drugs (except life saving drugs) to six per month. Many people with HIV/AIDS are on more than six prescriptions per month and see their physicians or other providers more than 10 times per year.

ADAP Co-Payment Impact

Should the Governor’s Budget be implemented, California will see a Share of Cost for ADAP. Best estimates are that about half of all ADAP users will see a co-payment. Anyone with an income above 100% of Federal Poverty or anyone making more than $10,938 dollars annually a year will be imposed a co-payment for their drugs. Estimates are the co-payments would affect people on the program as follows: If your income is between 101-200% of FPL ($10,938 to $21,600 a year) you would be required to pay a co-payment of up to 5% of your income. The co-payments would be between $547 to $1,080. If your annual income is between 201%- 300% of the Federal Poverty Level ($21,763 – $32,490) you can be charged a co-payment of up to 7% of your income or $1,523 – $2,274 annually. And if your income is between 301 – 400% of FPL ($32,598 to $43,320) you can be assessed a co-payment of up to 10% of your annual income or between $3,260 – $4,332.

SSI Benefits: Additionally, the Governor is proposing to cut SSI or Supplemental Security Income benefits to the Federal Minimum Level, an average amount of approximately $830 per month.

This may be just the start: There may be even deeper cuts in addition to those proposed unless additional tax hikes make up the deficit. The Governor has signaled that he would like to see a ballot initiative to increase revenues. If the legislature agrees with the Ballot Measure, the Governor has said he wants the proposed cuts in place before the vote. It is estimated that in addition to those cuts already being proposed, as much as $9-12 billion more will be cut on top of the other cuts from “where the money is.”

Proposed revenue increases are: Personal Income Tax .25 percent surcharge: This proposal is expected to generate revenues of $1.1 billion in 2010 11 and $2 billion in 2011-12. Personal Income Tax Dependent Exemption Credit: Maintain the dependent exemption credit in effect in 2009 until 2015 while allowing for annual indexing. This proposal is expected to generate revenues of $725 million in 2010 11 and $1.2 billion in 2011 12. Sales/Use Tax: Effective July 1, 2011, the 6 percent State SUT rate would continue for five years. This proposal is expected to generate revenues of $4.5 billion in 2011-12. Vehicle License Fee: Effective July 1, 2011, the 1.15 percent VLF rate would continue for five years. This proposal is expected to generate additional revenues of $1.3 billion in 2011-12.

Saying she was just the “messenger” and “delivering one-way communications from the state,” Dr. Michelle Roland, the Director of the State AIDS Office made comments on some of these budget proposals at the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV at its January 13, 2011 meeting. According to Dr. Roland, 45% of everyone in ADAP would be given a share of cost. Roland indicated that the governor has proposed this budget to be passed in 60 days. She continued saying, there are “no details yet but, we need to work these out pretty darn fast.”

The state already has a very skimpy HIV/AIDS budget and this is now just adding insult to injury. You may be surprised to know that California puts no State General Funds in HIV prevention, testing or care services directed to community programs. It only passes down to cities federal dollars which it receives in the form of grants, after it takes out its administrative costs. What was once a state that contributed to the fight against AIDS, California has slashed nearly all of its support for AIDS services over the last few years. The only place where state General Fund dollars are spent are on HIV Surveillance and the ADAP Program.

This budget will hurt – badly. AIDS experts believe the governor’s proposal will create a forcible exit to the ADAP program because clients will not be able to afford the co-payments, so they will leave the program or get fewer drugs. If the state is calculating for these savings, they are being extremely short-sighted. People with AIDS need their drugs. If they can’t afford the co-pays, they will fall off the ADAP program or get fewer medications filled according to their medical needs. That will result in increased medical costs down the road. These increased costs will be seen in increased viral loads in people with HIV that miss medication doses. This will lead to more expensive laboratory testing, increased treatment costs and an increase in the number of new medications one might need in an HIV regimen if their health is affected due to resistance.

What to do: If you are in agreement that these budget proposals would hurt people living with HIV/AIDS, you need to contact your legislators and Governor Brown and urge them to preserve these vital programs. Call and write them and tell them this proposal will hurt people with HIV/AIDS and you want them to find solutions other than cutting programs and services to the state’s budget problems. You can contact our Speaker and Governor at these addresses and phone numbers:

Speaker John Perez
State Capitol
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0046
Tel: (916) 319-2046
Fax: (916) 319-2146

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841

Also, go to www.CCALAC.org and click on State budget updates. Within that link, you will be able to find out who your legislators are and send a message to them via the website. Do this. Don’t wait if this is an important issue for you.

By: AL BALLESTEROS, MBA
MEMBER – LOS ANGELES COUNTY COMMISSION ON HIV


En un momento de una crísis y situación económica deplorable, muchos grupos para-y sin fines de lucro recortaron y/o eliminaron la provisión de servicios vitales. Pero no BIENESTAR. Un ejemplo actual es Sabores, el Programa de Jóvenes. La fuente de fondos local no prestó fondos de vuelta para financiar los servicios para jóvenes en BIENESTAR, y, sin embargo, nosotros no cerramos nuestras puertas. Con generosas donaciones y el apoyo para recaudar fondos de eventos como los Premios Fuego, se nos hace posible seguir proveyendo servicios de calidad, aún en vísperas de una crísis financiera.


Así de importante como la recaudación de fondos, los Premios Fuego tienen como meta el identificar el liderazgo y modelos de conducta para la comunidad latina y otras comunidades de color desproporcionadamente impactadas por el VIH/SIDA. Este año, BIENESTAR presentará a Alex Estévez con el Premio de Abogacía Comunitaria. Además, Wells Fargo recibirá el Premio de Visibilidad Corporativa y la ciudad de West Hollywood será honrada como el Socio Oficial Público. Los invitamos a visitar nuestra página de internet www.BIENESTAR.org y comprar boletos por solo $100. También podrá hacer contribuciones y hacerse Patrocinador de Oro, Plata o Bronce.


Únanse a nosotros para este importante evento y demuestren el héroe dentro de ustedes. El tiempo para hacer una diferencia es ahora. Nuestra comunidad los necesita. Para obtener información adicional sobre el evento, o para hacer una donación, por favor póngase en contacto con Víctor Martínez en el (323) 727-7896 ó vmartinez@bienestar.org.



BIENESTAR está comprometida a mejorar la salud y el bienestar de la comunidad latina y otras comunidades menos representados.

Echa un vistazo a nuestra nueva web en www.BIENESTAR.org. Queremos escuchar de ti, así que por favor no dudes en compartir tus comentarios y escríbenos un correo electrónico o ponte en contacto con un centro cercano a ti.

Por: Pedro García

Fuego Awards

The fight to end HIV/AIDS has been an ongoing struggle for the Latino community for the last three decades. While more continue to get infected, and funding becomes scarce, hope is the force driving us forward. It is in that spirit that each year BIENESTAR hosts the Fuego Awards. This two-fold event has at its core the goal of honoring individuals and organizations for their outstanding work in the field of HIV/AIDS and Social Justice toward the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community. The other purpose is to raise funds to continue to support HIV/AIDS Programs & Services within the organization that are not funded or supported by federal, state or local monies.

In a time of a budget crisis and deplorable economic climate, many for- and non-profit groups have disrupted and/or eliminated the provision of vital services. Not BIENESTAR. One current example is the Sabores Youth Program. The local funder did not re-fund the youth services at BIENESTAR, and yet, we did not close our doors. With kind donations and fundraising support from events like the Fuego Awards, we are able to continue to provide quality services even on the eve of financial turmoil.

Just as importantly raising money, the Fuego Awards aim at identifying leadership and role models for the Latino community and other communities of color disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS. This year, BIENESTAR will present Alex Estevez with the Community Advocate Award. In addition, Wells Fargo will receive the Corporate Visibility Award and the City of West Hollywood will be honored as the Public Official Partner. We invite you to visit our website www.BIENESTAR.org and purchase tickets for only $100. You may also make financial contributions as Gold, Silver or Bronze Sponsors.

Join us for this important event and show the hero within you. The time to make a difference is now. Our community needs you. For additional event information, or to make a donation, please contact Victor Martínez at (323) 727-7896 or vmartinez@bienestar.org.

BIENESTAR is committed to enhancing the health and well-being of the Latino community and other underserved communities.

Check out our brand new website at www.BIENESTAR.org. We want to hear from you, so please feel free to share your feedback and write us an email or contact a center near you.

By: Pedro García

We may all fear that our mate got run over by a truck when he is late. This is an irrational fear and something you know is extreme. You can actually laugh at yourself as he walks in the door complaining of his commute.

Watching your partner waste away, day after day, week after week, month after month is something at which you cannot just laugh. It creeps up on you as roll over in the night and reach out to hold him, touching a hip bone which juts out like a dorsal fin on a shark.

You pull away in horror, just as you would if you had touched a shark’s dorsal fin and then you realize . . . this is the person I love most in the world and all I feel is fear when I touch him. You lie awake for hours, tears slipping from your eyes . . .

You scream at God, you scream at his doctor, you scream at him and finally you scream at yourself because you can do nothing to stop this disease that robs you of your mate a bit at a time.

So what if you did a switch in perspective? What if you only saw your mate as strong and healthy? What if you focused on his good days instead of his bad? What if instead of fearing his demise and your loss, you spent every second of the day enjoying his love? What if instead of crying and screaming alone, you laughed and sang together?

Celebrate the little things. Celebrate the five steps he walked instead of the 25 you had to carry him up the day before. Cheer when he eats a whole egg instead of half. Dance when he sits up in bed for a couple of days and plays cards with you.

Laugh when he stumbles. Laugh so hard you both wet your pants. Hell, laugh when he does not make it to the bathroom and wets his pants. Remember it is all perspective and as long as you see something as bad, it will be bad. Laugh and you will take a dire experience and elevate it to one of humor.

When my grandmother was dying, she made us laugh one day until we cried. She had always been extremely prim and proper. She never had a hair out of place in her entire beauty-shop-visiting existence.

A few days before she passed, my sister and I were visiting grandma in the nursing home. A man was screaming down the hall, “Nurse, I need to use the bathroom.” He repeatedly screamed, while our grandmother who also needed to use the bathroom sat quietly chatting with us.

Finally, he yelled, “Nurse, I am going to shit my pants.” My grandmother who had never said ‘shit’ in her life, looked at us and started laughing, “I think I already did shit my pants.” The horror of the moment for she had in fact ‘shit her pants’ disappeared in the humor.

Grandma laughed and laughed and my sister and I had no choice but to join her. At that moment, I knew her to be the bravest woman on earth. Her dignity in a moment that should have held revulsion turned to one of pure courage. I now know how I want to leave this planet, filled with humor and courage. This most likely is what your mate wants as well.

You are responsible for your end of the relationship and in putting out the positive and celebrating and cheering and laughing, you will own the day and he will feel better no matter what he is enduring.

Fear is something we all have to balance, rational, irrational, justified, or absurd; it scares the hell out of us. The only way to balance fear is to embrace it, own it, accept it and release it. Talk it out and let it go. Yes, you may lose your partner. The situation sucks, but if you enjoy his life, you will stop focusing on his death.

You will move into a place of peace and joy and that will be a place in which he and you can heal and live a fulfilling life. Seeing health instead of sickness will inspire health. Being a beacon of light instead of a dark, fear-filled hole will allow him to see the light and move towards the joy that you exude.

When he is gone, will you have been a part of his joy or his sadness?

If you wish to contact Maria, you may email her at: ellobousa@yahoo.com

By Maria Etta Anabel

New York, Monday, December 14, 2009 – The Latino Commission on AIDS mourns the passing of its founder, Dennis de Leon, a tireless advocate for social justice and one of the first openly HIV-positive Latino leaders in the country. He was a pioneer and a visionary, and in his lifetime he sought to curb and eliminate health disparities among marginalized communities. As a lawyer and later a non-profit executive, deLeon believed in bridging cultural differences to effect progressive social change.

For 15 years, de Leon was the President of the Latino Commission on AIDS, a national service and advocacy organization addressing HIV/AIDS and health disparities in the Latino community nationwide. In his capacity as Commission President, de Leon served as the Manhattan delegate on the Civilian Complaint Review Board, which reviewed police misconduct allegations, and on several other boards, including the New York City HIV/AIDS Planning Group, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Housing Works, and the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership.

Prior to his tenure at the Commission, de Leon served as Chair/Commissioner for the New York City Commission on Human Rights, where he enforced human rights laws and increased cooperation between diverse ethnic and racial communities. From 1988 to 1990, he was appointed Deputy Borough President for Manhattan after six years as the city’s Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel, where he supervised civil rights law enforcement and the representation of uniformed officers.

“Dennis’ impact on the HIV epidemic will be felt for years and generations to come. Throughout his career and as President of the Commission he maintained that all communities of color needed to work together to address not only the disease but injustices that made our communities more vulnerable. His passing is cause for great sadness, but his life and legacy are a cause for celebration, stated Ruben Medina, Latino Commission on AIDS Board Chair.“ “He has touched millions of lives and made a tremendous difference in the world. “

“It will be a challenge to pick up the mantle Dennis has left for us at the Commission. Dennis was a friend, a mentor and an example of what a national leader should be. He is a testament to the human spirit and the power of perseverance. His work and his dedication to our community will not be forgotten, “stated Guillermo Chacon, Latino Commission on AIDS President.

“Dennis was a force to be reckoned with. If there was a social justice issue that needed to be addressed you knew you wanted Dennis on your side. His work and his voice were respected nationwide and there was no greater champion for Latinos living with or affected by HIV/AIDS. He will be greatly missed,” stated Ernesto Loperena, former Latino Commission on AIDS Board Chair.

For information about funeral services and the service for Dennis deLeon, please visit: www.latinoaids.org or call 646-375-4415

Biography of Dennis DeLeon

The Latino Commission on AIDS mourns the passing of its founder, Dennis deLeon, a tireless advocate for social justice and one of the first openly HIV-positive Latino leaders in the country. He was a pioneer and a visionary, and in his lifetime he sought to curb and eliminate health disparities among marginalized communities. As a lawyer and later a non-profit executive, deLeon believed in bridging cultural differences to effect progressive social change. He pushed lawmakers to consider community-based approaches to public health, and stressed increased accountability and responsiveness on the parts of government agencies. Throughout his career he maintained a vibrant concern for all people of color, especially those communities ravaged by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. His loss is the cause of great grief and sadness, yet his legacy is worthy of celebration.

Dennis deLeon was born in Los Angeles, California in 1948. He earned his B.A. from Occidental College in 1970, and became a lawyer in 1974 after attending Stanford Law School. His time in school was marked by leadership in undergraduate and law school organizations, including the Stanford Law Review. After clerking for a California appellate court judge, Dennis joined the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. as a trial attorney. During his tenure there he inaugurated one of the largest Latino employee organizations in the Department of Justice. Later, Dennis returned to California to work as Regional Counsel for California Rural Legal Assistance, where he provided legal services for migrant farmworkers in California’s agricultural communities.

It was in the early 1980s that Dennis sought to draw attention to the health disparities facing minority populations. In 1982, he was appointed to serve as Senior Assistant Corporation Counsel in the New York City Law Department. Four years later, deLeon was appointed by Mayor Edward I. Koch to serve as Executive Director for the Mayor’s Commission on Hispanic Concerns. The Hispanic Commission issued a report with far ranging recommendations for Latino New Yorkers. Worked with hundreds of Hispanic organizations in receiving testimony and recording numerous recommendations, Dennis drove a significant and unprecedented engine of social change in New York City, the ramifications of which are felt to this day. His visibility in the community lent credence and weight to his recommendations to elected leaders.

In 1988, deLeon was appointed to serve as Deputy Borough President for Manhattan, where he presided over land use and civil rights’ issues. When David Dinkins was elected New York City’s Mayor in 1990, he charged Deleon to serve as Director of Transition for a two month period, after which he served as Chair of the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Under deLeon’s leadership, the Commission on Human Rights assumed a new level of public advocacy for the rights of minority groups, spurring the creation of the Youth Commission on Human Rights, the Office of Mediation and Conflict Resolution, the Civil Rights Training Institute and the Bias Strike Force and Hotline. deLeon also intervened to address disputes in several communities, including those between Hasidic leaders and African-Americans in Crown Heights and Williamsburg, between Dominican-Americans and the police in Washington Heights, and between gays and Irish leaders in the St. Patrick’s Day March.

Dennis’ decades of civic work revealed a profound need for HIV prevention and education services for New York City’s emerging and diverse Latino population. In September 1994, deLeon became President of the Latino Commission on AIDS, where he headed a broad-based community effort to respond to the needs of Latinos infected with, and affected by, HIV. Dennis greatly expanded the relevance of the Commission, growing the organization from a one-person operation to a million dollar multi-service agency. Under his leadership the Commission developed a national clearinghouse for AIDS treatment information in Spanish, the first and largest network of religious leaders offering HIV prevention programs in Spanish-speaking congregations, and the National Latino AIDS Awareness Day which has been adopted by over 200 organizations in 38 states.

Dennis was the heart and soul of the Commission. Seeking to increase awareness on the wide-ranging impact of HIV, Dennis served on a variety of boards, including the New York City HIV/AIDS Planning Bodies, Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Housing Works, the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, and the People of Color Coalition. Today, the Commission is a primary resource for elected officials, community-based organizations, government agencies, media, and religious groups looking at health disparities and interventions across racial and ethnic groups.

It is difficult to capture or summarize the breadth of Dennis’ impact on the HIV epidemic. It is impossible to measure or quantify his contributions to minority health. The Commission is devastated by Dennis’ loss, and yet will forge on in the direction of his vision, where someday we will all see an end to HIV. Dennis de Leon is survived by his partner of more than 30 years Bruce Kiernan.

Oscar Raul Lopez

Advocates from AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the group coordinating the US protest in the Chicago area, were joined by local student activists who have been involved in the AIDS drug pricing issue. The deep winter protest took place in front of the Lake Forrest home of Abbott CEO Miles D. White, joining hundreds of protesters in Mexico City and Bogata.

Abbott, a longtime target of multinational protests and legal actions over the pricing of its AIDS drugs including Kaletra and Norvir, has remained steadfast in its refusal to lower prices, countering advocates’ and governments’ demands with only modest price reductions. In contrast, ALL other drug companies have offered significant price reductions on their medications. Advocacy and negotiations between the Mexican Government and the major pharmaceutical companies resulted in significant drops in price in 2008 alone. For instance, GlaxoSmithKline accepted a 40% price reduction for Abacavir while Merck, Sharpe, and Dohme accepted a 40% price reduction for Efavirenz.

Abbott charges Mexico an exorbitant $5,400 per patient per year, the same price it charged in 2003. This is over five times the $1,000 per patient per year which it charges in other countries in Latin America (including Brazil, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Peru, and Ecuador) and over ten times the price it charges in Africa, Haiti, and Cambodia.

“Many patients living here in Mexico depend on access to drugs such as Kaletra that are available elsewhere at a much, much lower cost,” said Patricia Campos, M.D., AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s Latin America Bureau Chief, who is based in Mexico and was a speaker at the Abbott protest in Mexico City. “We are strongly urging Abbott to immediately lower the price of Kaletra in Mexico to equal the price offered to Brazil in order to ensure that people in need in Mexico are not priced out of such potential lifesaving AIDS treatments.”