No Extra Funds For Aids Assistance

Gov. Phil Batt is not recommending $700,000 funding for the federal AIDS Drug Assistance Program because drug companies and federal dollars are adequate.

Batt said Friday his decision was based on the state Department of Health and Welfare’s belief that it can fund the program, which helps uninsured and underinsured AIDS patients buy medication, by combining state and federal resources with the drug companies’ donations.

An expected drop in federal money and cutbacks in charitable donations from drug companies forced the department to ask lawmakers for $700,000 to maintain the program. Batt excluded the request from his budget. , DataTimes