AIDS Healthcare Foundation

Pandemic Accord Must Work for All, says AHF

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 8, 2024
Advocacy Group Opinion, Infectious Diseases, COVID-19, Health, Public Policy, Government, World Health Day, AHF, Public, AIDS, World Health Assembly, AIDS Healthcare Foundation

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how woefully unprepared we were in responding to deadly outbreaks – and sadly, four years later, we are still not prepared for the next big health crisis,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein.

Key Points: 
  • “The COVID-19 pandemic exposed how woefully unprepared we were in responding to deadly outbreaks – and sadly, four years later, we are still not prepared for the next big health crisis,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein.
  • “World leaders must get the Pandemic Accord back on track and negotiate it in good faith for the entire world—not just what’s best for their political and financial interests.
  • The new pandemic agreement must be based on transparency, accountability, and cooperation.
  • If World Health Assembly Member States fail to heed lessons from the past pandemic, the world will be right back where we started with COVID-19.

PhRMA Secretly Funds Campaign to Kill Rent Control, per Justice for Renters

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, April 4, 2024
AIDS, Health, Consumer, Public Policy, Government, Residential Building & Real Estate, Pharmaceutical, Advocacy Group Opinion, Professional Services, Construction & Property, Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG), General Health, Seniors, State, Local, Other Policy Issues, Issue, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Risk, Patient, Greater Los Angeles, Housing, Justice, Big Pharma, AHF, Pharmacy, Advertising, Property management

This latest move is part of an ongoing shell game carried out by PhRMA and the pharmaceutical companies it represents to avoid public scrutiny, including that of the press.

Key Points: 
  • This latest move is part of an ongoing shell game carried out by PhRMA and the pharmaceutical companies it represents to avoid public scrutiny, including that of the press.
  • “This is a shining example of how corporate greed puts both patients and tenants at risk,” said Susie Shannon, campaign manager for Justice for Renters .
  • PhRMA has a PAC called the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America California Initiative Fund.
  • That PAC contributed an initial $10,000 to the California Business Roundtable PAC, which in turn contributed $250,000 to Californians to Protect Affordable Housing, a PAC opposing the Justice for Renters Act.

Drug Prices Decline Thanks to President Biden, Notes AHF

Retrieved on: 
Saturday, March 30, 2024
Advocacy Group Opinion, Public Policy, Government, Healthcare Reform, Philanthropy, White House, Federal Government, AIDS, Pharmaceutical, Health, Foundation, Other Policy Issues, IRA, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Federation, Plasma protein binding, AHF, Medicare, Inflation, Pharmaceutical industry

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) applauds the Biden administration’s continued efforts to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans.

Key Points: 
  • AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) applauds the Biden administration’s continued efforts to lower prescription drug prices for all Americans.
  • Multiple provisions in the law bend the prescription drug cost curve down.
  • The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that over 763,000 Medicare beneficiaries will start seeing lower drug prices beginning April 1.
  • “The Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program, the provision responsible for the much-needed savings, slows the rise of prescription drug price increases and shores up the Medicare trust fund.

Coachella Concerned That People Have Sex, Says AHF

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Entertainment, AIDS, Health, Infectious Diseases, Music, Events, Concerts, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, STD, Condom, Syphilis, URL, Sand, Coachella (festival), United, STI, Gonorrhea, CDC, Chlamydia, AHF, Multimedia, Advertising, Pharmaceutical industry

(Photo: Business Wire)

Key Points: 
  • (Photo: Business Wire)
    The Coachella-themed billboard went up Tuesday, March 26, 2024 and will remain up throughout April as Coachella spans two weekends: April 12-14 and April 19-21.
  • Do they really not know how people spend their time during festival weekends?” said Michael Weinstein, AHF president and cofounder.
  • California ranks 22 in reported cases of chlamydia, 18th in reported cases of gonorrhea, and 19th in cases of syphilis.
  • To learn more about AHF, visit us online at AIDShealth.org , find us on Facebook , follow us on Instagram , Twitter , and TikTok , and subscribe to our AHFter Hours podcast.

AHF’s Just Use It Ad Campaign Named OBIE Award Finalist

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
Public Policy, Government, AIDS, Health, Other Policy Issues, Marketing, Advertising, Communications, Social Activism, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Just, Partnership, Patient, Public, URL, City, Nonprofit organization, Gold, Burn, AHF, Multimedia, Public service

View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240326133990/en/

Key Points: 
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240326133990/en/
    AIDS Healthcare Foundation’s (AHF) Just Use It ad campaign – featuring a condom-clad banana, the slogan “Just Use It,” and the useacondom.com URL – is a finalist for the 2024 OBIE Awards, which have been rewarding the best in out-of-home advertising for more than 80 years.
  • This campaign is running in more than a dozen cities across the country; the billboard pictured is in New York City.
  • The Just Use It campaign debuted in August 2023 to promote condom use and ran in six central Los Angeles locations.
  • campaign won a Gold OBIE award in 2017, and AHF was an OBIE finalist with its #StandAgainstHate campaign in 2018.

AHF Cheers Washington State Law to Stop PBM Abuse

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
State, Local, Public Policy, Healthcare Reform, Pharmaceutical, Social Activism, Practice Management, Communications, Managed Care, Philanthropy, Advocacy Group Opinion, Infectious Diseases, Government, Foundation, AIDS, Health, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Patient, Pharmacy, AHF

Today, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed SB 5213 into law.

Key Points: 
  • Today, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed SB 5213 into law.
  • The law protects patients and the pharmacies who serve them from pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
  • “We thank Senator Kuderer, Senator Short and the Washington State Pharmacy Association for championing this bill.
  • This bill provides protections for patient care, patient choice and pharmacies,” said Laura Boudreau, Chief of Operations at AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), which worked with the legislators and the Washington State Pharmacy Association to ensure passage of the bill.

AHF Prevails in CA’s Unconstitutional Attempt to End Medi-Cal Contract

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 22, 2024
Professional Services, AIDS, Health, Legal, Insurance, Health Insurance, General Health, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, District court, Patient, Managed care, DHCS, Constitutional right, AHF, State, Medi-Cal, Hospital

In a move that ultimately was found unconstitutional, the State and its representatives attempted to end AHF’s very long-standing Medi-Cal contract to provide health care to about 770 people living with AIDS in California after AHF mailed patients suggesting they contact DHCS.

Key Points: 
  • In a move that ultimately was found unconstitutional, the State and its representatives attempted to end AHF’s very long-standing Medi-Cal contract to provide health care to about 770 people living with AIDS in California after AHF mailed patients suggesting they contact DHCS.
  • AHF sued, alleging violations of the First Amendment, and the court issued a preliminary injunction.
  • The lawsuit was pursued in the U.S. District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles), and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit.
  • The dispute is now over, and AHF’s contract has been further extended through December 31, 2025.

Yes! We Can End TB & AIDS, Says AHF

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 22, 2024
White House, Federal Government, Public Policy, Other Health, General Health, Women, Philanthropy, Advocacy Group Opinion, Infectious Diseases, Government, Men, LGBTQ+, Foundation, Other Philanthropy, AIDS, Consumer, Health, Coinfection, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Tuberculosis, World Tuberculosis Day, HIV, Global health, Education, Death, Infection, World Health Organization, Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, TB, MDR-TB, AHF, Multimedia, Pharmaceutical industry

We Can End TB & AIDS’ commemorations to honor the millions of lives lost to TB while urging leaders at all levels of government to prioritize TB prevention, testing, and treatment efforts.

Key Points: 
  • We Can End TB & AIDS’ commemorations to honor the millions of lives lost to TB while urging leaders at all levels of government to prioritize TB prevention, testing, and treatment efforts.
  • View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240322482439/en/
    AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) country teams, which have prioritized screening for TB in clinics—along with preventing and treating HIV/TB co-infection—will hold World TB Day commemorations around the globe.
  • Integrating TB prevention and care into HIV programs, which AHF has done, is essential for comprehensive healthcare.
  • We Can End TB & AIDS.’”
    According to the World Health Organization, TB claimed 1.3 million lives in 2022, including 167,000 people living with HIV, with an estimated nearly 11 million people falling ill to TB worldwide.

AHF Urges Trinidad and Tobago to Sidestep Greedy GSK

Retrieved on: 
Friday, March 15, 2024
AIDS, Public Policy, Government, Health, Infectious Diseases, Advocacy Group Opinion, Pharmaceutical, ARV, GSK, HIV, COVID-19, AHF, Caribbean region of Colombia, Letter, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Face, Biosimilar, Pharmaceutical industry

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is calling on the government of Trinidad and Tobago to consider issuing a compulsory license for Tivicay (dolutegravir), a GSK antiretroviral (ARV) drug that treats HIV, which currently costs 25 times more than available biosimilar generics in neighboring Caribbean countries.

Key Points: 
  • AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) is calling on the government of Trinidad and Tobago to consider issuing a compulsory license for Tivicay (dolutegravir), a GSK antiretroviral (ARV) drug that treats HIV, which currently costs 25 times more than available biosimilar generics in neighboring Caribbean countries.
  • In February, AHF and the Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad & Tobago sent a letter to GSK CEO Dame Emma Walmsley, which in part stated, “We urge you to address the lack of access to the antiretroviral drug Tivicay in Trinidad due to its high cost by lowering its price in line with biosimilar generics available in the Caribbean Region – or by committing not to threaten legal action against the purchase of a generic version of Tivicay.”
    To date, GSK has yet to respond to the letter.
  • Currently, Tivicay is under patent protection in Trinidad and Tobago, and GSK has threatened legal action if the country decides to import affordable generic ARVs.
  • “As a small island nation, Trinidad and Tobago is still recovering from the economic and social consequences of COVID-19 – paying 25 times more to provide lifelong HIV treatment for its people is untenable,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein.

AHF Thanks Matsui for Fighting Big PhRMA

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 12, 2024
FDA, Men, Health, Family, Consumer, Congressional News, Views, Healthcare Reform, Public Policy, Government, Pharmaceutical, General Health, Health Insurance, Women, Other Policy Issues, Patient, AHF, AIDS, Congress, AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Prescription

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) applauds Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) for her willingness to take on drug companies for their illegal contract pharmacy restrictions.

Key Points: 
  • AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) applauds Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) for her willingness to take on drug companies for their illegal contract pharmacy restrictions.
  • As a 340B provider, AHF understands how contract pharmacy restrictions not only deny nonprofits vital savings but also interfere with their successful models of care.
  • “Drug companies have done everything possible to reduce the number of prescriptions available at 340B prices,” said Laura Boudreau, AHF Chief of Operations.
  • AHF is proud to support this bill.”
    As 340B finds itself in the crosshairs of drug makers bent on the program’s destruction, the 340B PATIENTS Act will provide the necessary pushback.