By: Ranier Simons, ADAP Blog Guest Contributor
Effective population health monitoring, program evaluation, and decision-making requires quality data. To that end, in September 2023, the Division of Policy and Data, HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) under the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services published the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Annual Client-Level Data Report.[1] The current iteration of this annual publication covers the years 2017 through 2021. The client-level data includes information such as demographics, socioeconomic status/factors, and service utilization.
ADAPs are in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and six U.S. territories, receiving funding from Part B of the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP). Eligibility for ADAP services requires one to have a diagnosis of HIV, be of low income, defined as a percentage of the federal income poverty level, and meet residency requirements based on a particular state’s ADAP structure. The report includes a multitude of metrics grouped by age, race/ethnicity, gender, federal poverty level, and healthcare coverage status. What follows is an overview of some of the data. To view the report in its entirety, please click here.
According to the report, clients served numbers are on an upward trend. From 2017 to 2021, the client base grew from 268,174 to 289,289. These numbers describe those who specifically receive ADAP services and do not include clients who only receive non-ADAP RWHAP direct health care and support services. However, some ADAP clients partake of those services as well. Increasing yearly numbers indicate that ADAP programs are needed, and ongoing funding is necessary. Additionally, research shows that ADAP programs are cost-effective, and policies that stifle them are detrimental to the health and well-being of those dependent upon them and society overall.[2]
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A few gender-related observations stand out as well. Most of the ADAP clients are male. In 2021, 78.6% were cis-gender male. This percentage and the overall gender ratio of male, female, and transgender patients served has remained consistent over the 2017-2021 timeframe. In 2021, the data shows a difference in poverty based on gender. There were more cis-gender female/transgender female ADAP clients than cis-gender male/transgender males living at or below 100% of the federal poverty level, though as a whole, half of all ADAP clients were below. The comparison was 54.1% cis-gender female and 65.6% transgender female in contrast to 44.7% cis-gender male and 51.4% transgender male. Gender differences were also noted in the status of healthcare coverage. In 2021, 36.5% of ADAP clients were entirely without health care insurance coverage. However, of that subgroup, 36.6% were male, and 34.95 were female. The numbers for transgender clients were higher, with 49.8% of transgender males and 51.2% of transgender females lacking any healthcare coverage. Complete lack of coverage means they did not even have Medicaid.
The report indicated a few standout metrics regarding race as well. The majority of ADAP clients are non-White. In 2021, seven out of ten were racial or ethnic minorities, with white clients comprising 30% of the client total. A further breakdown of the racial data indicates that in 2021 over half, 55%, of female ADAP clients were African American. By comparison, 24.1% were Hispanic/Latina, 18.1% were White, and less than 2% identified as Asian, mixed-race, American Indian/Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. In contrast, 33.6% of male clients were African American, 33.3% were White, and 29.9% were Hispanic/Latino. A very notable racially varied metric involved age. Ethnic/minority ADAP clients are younger than White clients. In 2021, 62.1% of white clients were 50 years of age or older. This contrasts with the statistics of 39.9% being African American, 48.9% being American Indian/Alaska Native, 38.6% Hispanic/Latino, and 36.0% Asian.
The observations are just a few of the many data points described in the report. Continued reporting of this nature is necessary for accountability in terms of the billions spent on ADAP each year and to continue to improve the services and the lives of those dependent on ADAP services. Whether examining the breakdown of various service utilization or how the distribution of services differs based on geographical region, continuing to create a robust repository of data is the best way to improve the health outcomes of the vulnerable ADAP population.
[1] Health Resources and Services Administration. (2023, September). Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) Annual Client-Level Data Report 2021. Retrieved from https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/sites/default/files/ryanwhite/data/hrsa-adap-data-report-2021.pdf
[2] McManus, K. A., Strumpf, A., Killelea, A., Horn, T., Hamp, A., & Keim-Malpass, J. (2022). Economic benefits of the United States' AIDS drug assistance Program: A systematic review of cost analyses to guide research and policy priorities. Preventive medicine reports, 29, 101969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101969
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