AIDS Arms uses LifeWalk funds to adapt programs to the changing HIV landscape
TEAM ASD | AIDS Services of Dallas CEO Don Maison, left, and other members including staff and residents will participate in the week’s LifeWalk. (David Taffet/Dallas Voice)
DAVID TAFFET | Staff Writer
taffet@dallasvoice.com
As the Affordable Care Act helps more people find health coverage, some people with HIV find they can’t afford their policies’ enormous deductibles and co-pays. Funds raised by LifeWalk this year, taking place Sunday, Oct. 5, at Lee Park, will be essential to continuing to deliver care to those and other clients, AIDS Arms Executive Director John Carlo said.
Some clients have gotten insurance through the marketplace, Carlo said. But, he added, “Some people are falling through the cracks. It’s a greater struggle for some of those on plans because of greater out-of-pocket costs.”
He said some clients on the least expensive plans are having trouble keeping up with the co-pays. HIV meds are in the highest tier of co-pay costs, listed as non-preferred medications even when no alternatives available. On some plans, the co-pay ranges up to 30 percent of a $2,200 per month medication.
Carlo wants those people who are “falling through the cracks” that help is available.
“We have programs that enable people to fill in the gap,” he said. “Support from LifeWalk keeps people on meds.”
Carlo said because better healthcare plans are cheaper in the long run for someone with HIV, AIDS Arms is working on a program to help clients purchase the more expensive coverage that will save both the agency and the client money over the following year.
He also commented on several other recent developments and studies in HIV prevention and treatment.
New research shows a suppressed viral load prevents transmission of HIV in both the gay and straight communities, Carlo said, calling those results amazing.
“We’re not encouraging condomless sex,” he said. “But we are finding treatment is prevention.”
He also noted that a new, single, once-a-day pill was recently approved, the fourth single-pill treatment available. While the other pills remain excellent treatments, Carlo said, the new pill gives doctors options when they note side effects and contra effects from other treatments.
“Every time we have a new combination pill, it’s a win,” he said.
Finally, Carlo said, there’s good new evidence supporting PrEP as a prevention tool. PrEP is short for Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis, where HIV-negative people take an HIV medication to prevent themselves from seroconverting.
Recent studies show people on PrEP are not increasing their risky behavior. Among younger people on PrEP, condom use actually increased, Carlo said.
Because of the cost, very few people are on PrEP and it’s not something offered yet at AIDS Arms.
Carlo said he’s encouraged by the new treatments.
“Fewer people die from HIV,” he said. “There’s a lot to celebrate. But it’s discouraging we still see people coming in with zero T-cells.
LifeWalk, which began in 1991, raises money for AIDS Arms and other Dallas agencies to provide HIV care. AIDS Services of Dallas is among the agencies that benefit from the event.
ASD President and CEO Don Maison said he loves the event because it allows his clients to become involved in a way other, higher-priced events don’t.
Maison said he’s seeing a new level of activism among his residents that he hasn’t seen in a number of years. That includes becoming involved in a “get out the vote” drive, the Wendy Davis for governor campaign and the Texas Organizing Project.
It also means participating in LifeWalk.
This year, Maison said, ASD will have a team of more than 100 walkers that includes residents, staff and board members.
To pay the entrance fee for all of the residents who want to participate, Alex Sanchez organized a car wash in one of the Caven parking lots off Cedar Springs Road. Earlier this year, residents held a garage sale. Recently, they participated in the Lake Cliff Park centennial celebration and in the Festival in Lee Park after the Alan Ross Texas
Freedom Parade. They raised money for LifeWalk registrations by selling plants.
“What I like about LifeWalk is it gives our residents the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get involved,” Maison said.
Terry Bax captains Team Clover. The team has already raised more than $40,000 and Bax alone is LifeWalk’s all-time largest fundraiser with $17,000.
The team’s biggest fundraising event was Putt Putt Pub Crawl through bars, Hunky’s and ilume Gallery. Each location set up a hole for foursomes to play. Team Clover sold mulligans and held a raffle and a costume contest. The winning team received a $1,000 prize, but that team donated half of it back to LifeWalk.
AIDS Arms Development Director Tori Hobbs said last year’s LifeWalk set a fundraising record for the event earning a total of $512,000.
Quite a bit of the money used to be collected at registration in Lee Park the morning of the event.
“With our online tools, more people are doing fundraising earlier,” Hobbs said. But during the last few days before the walk, many teams do a final push to increase their totals. Some walkers register the day of the walk at Lee Park.
The total will increase after the day of the walk with money coming in from some final events and corporate matching funds.
For each walker on its team, Cigna donates $100. Last year that meant an additional $1,500.
MAC Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the cosmetics retailing company, matches every dollar donated to its team.
“So if anyone is looking to donate and have it matched, that’s a good way to make a donation,” Hobbs said.
To donate to the MAC Foundation team — or to any other team or to the walk in general — go to the LifeWalk website at LifeWalk.org, or donate in person on the day of the event.
The 2014 LifeWalk 5K Fun Run/Walk takes place Sunday, Oct. 5, at Lee Park, 3333 Turtle Creek Blvd. On-site registration begins at 11 a.m., and the walk begins at 1 p.m.
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition October 3, 2014.
