June 6, 2008

Florida’s Palm Beach County Cuts HIV Services

Florida’s Palm Beach County will allocate $600,000 less of its federal AIDS funding next year for HIV case management, the Palm Beach Post reports (palmbeachpost.com, 6/3).

According to the article, some 7,130 HIV cases were reported in 2006—the most recent year for which data are available. The cuts will leave 500 HIV-positive people in the county without medical case management.

Palm Beach County Community Services Director Ed Rich says, however, that the county is just following federal guidelines. “We just don’t have the money for all the services, so we try to follow the mandates as closely as possible,” Rich told the Palm Beach Post.

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Previous Comments:

MaineMan, West Palm Beach, 2010-01-09 13:04:52
Looking for other positive men in the West Palm Beach area.

Derrick Clelveland, Florida, 2009-01-18 03:22:23
I have recently read an article stating since 2007, diagnosed HIV cases have went up 50% to 2008. Yet we are losing funding?

Paolo Preston, Tucson, 2008-06-11 09:59:00
HSRA requires a shift to medical case management despite the fact the needs of many of us who are positive go well beyond medical. If you aren't living in poverty when you test positive, you most likely will at sometime live well below the poverty level. How does medical case management address this? Providers face continued funding cuts and we who are positive continue to suffer at the hands of HSRA cuts and actions. We need to ACT UP again.

Jim Guinnessey, West Palm Beach, 2008-06-10 14:27:21
Why not just pull the plug on seriously ill persons in health care facilities in Palm Beach County? Wouldn't that save the politicians in Tallahassee money,too? That's what these phoney money cuts are doing to persons with AIDS in Palm Beach County, one of the richest counties in Florida.

Gary, Jacksonville, 2008-06-10 13:19:33
It's good to know that we in Jacksonville aren't the ugly step children of the state with everything being cut. Rumor has it we will have an ADAP waiting list next year as well. Thanks George W and your regime for placing your citizens lives in jeopardy

TimmerInBigD, Dallas, 2008-06-08 18:06:48
It would be really interesting to find out if federal guidelines were used in fuding all other services in Palm Beach County. And were they cut at the same level as HIV Services? Seeing how these federal guidelines reflect the "leadership" of GWBush, there's lot's to be desired.