ADAP Advocacy Launches Grassroots Hub as Texas Faces HIV Drug Program Pressure

ADAP Advocacy has launched a new, interactive grassroots advocacy hub for advocates and activists concerned about the future of the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, part of its reactivated national campaign, ADAP Saves Lives: End the Wait. The announcement lands as ADAP waiting lists have appeared in Iowa and Utah, now affecting more than 1,000 clients, while 15 other states confront budget deficits. Texas is among the six states ADAP Advocacy identifies as at greatest risk for widespread potential access barriers, alongside Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Utah.

The stakes for Texas are significant because ADAP is not primarily financed by federal appropriations. According to the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, federal appropriations account for a small percentage of the national ADAP budget (NASTAD, 2026). In FY2024, federal funding represented 29% of the budget and state-level funding just 4%, with more than half of the program's budget attributed to drug rebates. That structure leaves state programs exposed when rebate revenue or state appropriations shift, and it raises the cost of delayed advocacy for patients who depend on uninterrupted treatment.

The new hub gives Texas advocates a state-specific resource center with tools designed to match the local policy environment. Each state resource center features grassroots advocacy toolkits, social media advocacy toolkits, a search tool for members of Congress, "Take Action" communication tools such as emails and social shares, and an event planning and calendar management platform. Public service announcements are listed as coming soon. Additional states will be added on a rolling basis.

Brandon M. Macsata, CEO of ADAP Advocacy, said the organization has spent the last few months building out state grassroots networks that were vital to securing additional resources during the last ADAP crisis from 2009 to 2013. He described the hub as a way to arm patient advocates and community activists with as many resources and tools as possible, combining old-school and new-age tactics.

Michelle Anderson, ADAP Advocacy's Grassroots Advocacy Director, said people living with HIV again have a fight on their hands centered on ensuring patients have access to timely, appropriate treatment. She said the hub puts those patients at the center of the campaign and lets them tell their stories, creating space for organic, bottom-up advocacy.

For Texas businesses, health care providers, and community organizations, the practical effect is a more organized channel for local voices ahead of federal and state budget decisions. ADAP stakeholders interested in federal public policy centered on ADAPs can visit the organization's policy center. The hub itself is available through the organization's hub.