Understand the issues.
Know your options.

Learning, self-advocacy, and where to turn

RiseUpToHIV focuses on education, community, and resources. This hub helps you understand policy and prepare to speak up for your own needs. Kevin remains connected to the issues and supports efforts where he can; organizations with dedicated policy and organizing teams lead the sustained campaign work.

Start with what you need. If a change affects your care or coverage, use the coverage checklist and Find Care to connect with an organization that can help you navigate services. You can learn about an issue without taking part in a campaign.

Want to get more involved? Explore the 20 organizations and campaigns below for their current priorities, guidance, and opportunities to participate. The contact scripts here are optional educational examples. This site does not endorse political parties or candidates.

FY2027 HIV funding: the decision to act on now

Appropriations are the spending laws that fund services. Congress still has to resolve full-year funding for HIV prevention, care, research, housing, and the global response.

What Congress is deciding—and what is already law

FY2027 runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027. A temporary spending law and a full-year appropriation serve different purposes.

There is no single HIV-only appropriations bill. Labor–HHS funds domestic health programs and research; Transportation–HUD funds HOPWA; the State/foreign-assistance funding process covers much of the global response. A final package can combine several bills. Ask about the programs, not only whether an office supports “the budget.”^[31]

The House Appropriations Committee approved its Labor–HHS proposal on June 9. Committee approval is not enactment. The temporary law is in place while full-year decisions remain unresolved. A final House/Senate agreement, further extension, or other enacted measure can change the December deadline.^[41][1]

Current advocacy focus: protect the full service network, seek funding that responds to need, and challenge restrictions that exclude communities from care. Save HIV Funding and AIDS United publish requests and action alerts. Check their current ask before citing a dollar amount, bill number, or deadline.^[31][32]

Save HIV Funding is a campaign bringing organizations and advocates together; it is not a federal program. Its priorities include domestic and global HIV funding. This hub’s scripts are original examples, not official scripts issued or endorsed by the organizations listed below.

If you choose to contact an elected office

You do not need to disclose your HIV status to be heard.

1. Choose one issue and the decision-maker: Congress for federal appropriations; your state legislators for state budgets and criminal statutes.
2. Identify yourself as a constituent using your city and ZIP. Add a short personal impact only if you want to.
3. Request a specific action. Distinguish a proposal from an enacted rule, and avoid claiming that a pending case has been won.
4. Ask for the office’s position and a response. Record the date, staff contact, and any commitment so you can follow up.

These optional, nonpartisan civic tools can help you explain an issue or ask for a response. For coordinated campaigns and current action requests, follow the organizations working on that issue. RiseUpToHIV does not endorse political parties or candidates. Choose an original contact script →

Find the right office

Use official directories for current officeholders. ZIP codes can cross congressional boundaries, so a full address may be needed on the official site.

Prefer the phone? The Capitol switchboard is 202-224-3121. Ask to be connected to your member’s office. House lookup help →

Something useful to say

If you want to contact an elected office, choose an issue, adapt the wording, and use the office’s official channel. These are optional examples for learning and self-advocacy. Nothing here sends a message automatically.

Our wording, informed by experienced advocates. These original examples draw on Save HIV Funding and AIDS United’s funding guidance, CHLP/PJP’s rights principles, and TAG’s hepatitis C advocacy. The links under each script lead to the relevant organization’s own scripts, action alerts, or background guidance. They have not endorsed these examples.^{[31][32][11][39]}

Browse the policy topics

Start with the issue that affects you. Each section connects to deeper learning and practical next steps.

Ryan White and ADAP: a safety net worth protecting

Care includes more than a prescription. Reliable services also require staff, transportation, mental health support, and help navigating coverage.

HRSA says the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program serves more than 600,000 people annually—over half of people with diagnosed HIV in the United States. Part A supports eligible metropolitan areas; Part B serves all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Pacific jurisdictions and includes ADAP. Parts C and D support clinics and specific populations; Part F includes training, dental services, and special projects.^[5]

The last reauthorization was in 2009, with its authorization of appropriations ending in 2013. That did not repeal the program. Congress continues to appropriate money under the existing law. Renewing an authorization and providing annual funding are separate legislative actions.^[6]

HRSA’s enacted FY2026 table totals $2.571 billion, including the Ryan White EHE allocation. Within Part B, the ADAP earmark is $900.313 million. These amounts match FY2025; level funding preserves programs but does not by itself absorb rising costs.^[2]

NASTAD’s July 2026 ADAP Watch reported 15 programs projecting current-fiscal-year deficits. A projected shortfall is not the same as an active waiting list or an enacted eligibility cut. State programs differ, so use a current state program contact rather than assuming a national rule.^[7]

Another change matters for distribution: HRSA announced a five-year transition starting in FY2026 toward using the most recent residence, rather than residence at diagnosis, in Parts A/B formulas. This does not promise a particular increase for Florida; actual awards depend on the formula, reported data, and available appropriations.^[9]

How Ryan White works nationwide → · National ADAP funding and state differences →

If your coverage changed: protect your next refill

You can ask for help now. Enrollment, eligibility, medicine availability, and plan rules still have to be checked; no program can be promised in advance.

Florida: a real restoration, with a remaining gap

The July rules are more useful for today’s enrollment decisions than headlines written during the March crisis.

Biktarvy and Descovy returned on July 1, 2026 for direct medication assistance and the CVS Caremark prescription copay/deductible program. DOH lists eligibility from 0–400% FPL, subject to the other program requirements. Eligible uninsured people can receive covered medicines directly; eligible insured people may receive prescription cost-sharing support. Premium payments were not restored.^[8]

For current eligibility and enrollment, call the Florida ADAP Help Desk at 844-381-2327. Direct medication services questions can also go to Prime Therapeutics at 833-604-0925. Ask your local case manager to confirm both eligibility and enrollment are complete.^[8]

Florida also remains a state without ACA Medicaid expansion. Eligibility for Medicaid and Marketplace assistance depends on individual circumstances. Ask a navigator to screen for every available pathway.^[21]

HIV criminalization: science, rights, and the viral divide

Legal protection should not depend on whether someone can reach or remain in care.

CHLP’s September 15, 2026 maps identify 32 states with exposure or transmission offenses and 40 with at least one covered offense or enhancement. The overlapping categories include some broader communicable-disease laws. The counts do not tell you the elements of a particular offense or provide a defense in an individual case.^[10]

U=U means that a person who gets and keeps an undetectable viral load does not transmit HIV through sex. But suppression cannot be the only route to fair treatment under law. Insurance interruptions, unstable housing, stigma, mental health needs, and substance use can complicate access and continuity. Penalizing people for a detectable or unknown viral load reinforces this viral divide. Reform should address discriminatory offenses, penalties, surveillance, and unequal access—not simply offer a narrow exemption to people with laboratory proof of suppression.^[12][11]

Florida’s legal provisions differ by conduct and required proof. A Williams Institute study identified 874 HIV-related arrest incidents involving 614 people during 1986–2017; these are historical arrests, not current cases or convictions. Florida’s 2026 SB 764 and HB 1223 both died in committee on March 13 and did not change the law.^[13][14][15]

Louisiana’s change followed years of work by the Louisiana Coalition on Criminalization and Health with CHLP’s Positive Justice Project. Implementation and continued reform matter after a bill passes; an exemption tied to suppression alone would still leave people behind.^[35]

National criminalization guide → · Florida laws and reform history → · Why the viral divide matters →

Personal safety: do not put facts about a possible criminal case into a public comment or legislative script. Seek qualified legal advice about your circumstances.

PrEP: coverage on paper must become access in practice

Medication, testing, clinic time, and navigation all matter.

CDC estimates that PrEP taken as prescribed reduces sexual acquisition of HIV by about 99%. Coverage and access determine whether people can benefit from that protection.^[19]

On June 27, 2025, the Supreme Court rejected the Appointments Clause challenge to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force in Kennedy v. Braidwood Management. That preserved an important part of the ACA preventive-services framework, but did not decide every religious-freedom claim or guarantee coverage under every policy.^[17]

Federal guidance requires most non-grandfathered private plans to cover recommended PrEP and associated baseline/monitoring services without cost sharing, subject to applicable rules. Network status, a plan’s obligations, and coverage of newer formulations still require attention. If billed, ask the plan to explain its policy and review the coding with the clinic.^[18]

2026 progress: Delaware, Washington, D.C., and Massachusetts enacted additional PrEP coverage protections. Their scope and implementation dates differ; Delaware and D.C. protections for the applicable state-regulated plans begin with policies issued or starting on or after January 1, 2027. These are not blanket rules for every employer plan nationwide.^[33][43]

People without insurance need separate assistance. Ryan White funds cannot pay for PrEP medication or associated medical services for people without HIV. A Ryan White clinic may provide PrEP using other funding; ask which program covers each cost.^[20]

PrEP options and coverage → · Assistance programs → · Find a PrEP provider →

Insurance: check the actual benefits

Coverage rules are not the same for every type of plan.

ACA-compliant coverage has important protections, but having insurance does not automatically eliminate medication costs or navigation barriers. Compare networks, formularies, prior authorization, premiums, and out-of-pocket limits. A Marketplace navigator or HIV benefits specialist can check eligibility and enrollment windows. Read the insurance guide →

2027 Medicaid preparation: CMS’s June rule generally requires certain adults in the expansion group or specified waiver groups to meet an 80-hour monthly work/community-engagement standard, or an alternative or exemption, by January 1, 2027. It does not apply to every Medicaid recipient. Ask a benefits navigator about your eligibility group, medical or other exemptions, required documentation, and notices; do not assume HIV status alone automatically resolves the paperwork.^[42]

For preventive PrEP, use the federal coverage guidance above. For treatment and support, ask about Ryan White and ADAP coordination. Florida ADAP prescription cost-sharing help should never be described as restored premium assistance. Florida’s current distinction →

Ending the HIV Epidemic: protect the whole delivery system

A goal is not a result, and one protected budget line cannot describe an entire program.

The federal EHE initiative began in 2019 and set a goal of at least a 90% reduction in new HIV infections by 2030. It initially focuses on 57 jurisdictions and the strategies of diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and response. That percentage is a target, not an achieved reduction.^[22]

Florida’s seven priority counties are Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, and Pinellas. Florida is included through these counties, not through the separate group of rural-priority states.^[23]

The House committee proposal treats CDC EHE and Ryan White EHE differently. Ask offices about both allocations and the underlying prevention and care infrastructure, rather than asking only whether “EHE” survived. Compare the funding proposals → · EHE goals, evidence, and Florida →

A national hepatitis C program: promising legislation, not a benefit yet

There is a federal proposal to expand access to hepatitis C testing and curative treatment. It should not be described as an ADAP-style fund already open for enrollment.

S.1941, the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, was introduced June 4, 2025. A House companion, H.R.9682, the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026, was introduced July 14, 2026. The introduced proposals combine a subscription-based approach to medicine purchasing with testing and linkage to care. The bill records reviewed show proposals referred to committees—not an enacted national assistance program.^[36][37]

Carl Schmid, executive director of the HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute, welcomed the Senate proposal while raising concerns about a purchasing approach that could depend on a single manufacturer. His current organization is distinct from The AIDS Institute; both appear in the advocacy directory below.^[38]

Treatment Action Group welcomed the House version’s removal of immigration-based restrictions found in the Senate proposal. It also called for stronger harm reduction, continuity of care in and after incarceration, and a meaningful role for affected communities. Medicine purchasing alone is not a complete elimination strategy.^[39]

What to ask Congress: advance an inclusive, funded program and explain which version, eligibility rules, and implementation resources the office supports. For help with treatment today, use existing care and assistance pathways rather than waiting for a proposed fund. Hepatitis C contact script → · HIV and hepatitis C → · Current assistance options →

The wider policy picture

Housing, gender-affirming care, harm reduction, and the global response belong in HIV policy too.

Progress to recognize—and work still ahead

A compact summary of the evidence above, not a score for candidates or parties.

What to watch as 2027 approaches

A watch list of confirmed deadlines and unresolved decisions—not a prediction that proposals will pass.

Organizations and campaigns to follow

Looking to get involved beyond learning and self-advocacy? These organizations and campaigns are places to explore current priorities, organizing opportunities, and ways to support their work. This is a starting point, not a ranking or an exhaustive list. Their priorities and strategies differ. Inclusion does not imply a partnership with, or endorsement of RiseUpToHIV.

Fundraising, public investment, and community advocacy work together. For the foundations and campaigns helping finance research and services, read HIV Philanthropy: Foundations, Fundraising, and Lasting Impact. This directory focuses on groups to follow for policy, organizing, rights, and community leadership.

Did we miss your organization? Email info@riseuptohiv.com with its name, official website, and the HIV policy or advocacy work it leads. We welcome suggestions for editorial review.

Where advocates learn and organize

Use organizer pages for the next confirmed dates, accessibility information, scholarships, and registration. Past events are not listed as upcoming.

Sources and review notes

Checked September 28, 2026. Government documents establish enacted rules and program requirements; advocacy sources identify their own positions and analyses. A blocked automated retrieval is not, by itself, proof that a resource is missing.

1. Public Law 119-103: Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027. Section 106: temporary funding deadline, subject to earlier enactment of applicable appropriations. ↩1 ↩2 ↩3 ↩4
2. HRSA: Ryan White appropriations, FY2015–FY2026. Enacted amounts; the ADAP earmark is part of Part B, not additional to the program total. ↩1 ↩2
3. HIVMA: House FY2027 Labor-HHS bill analysis, June 15, 2026. Analysis of the House committee proposal, not enacted appropriations. ↩
4. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute: FY2027 presidential budget analysis, April 3, 2026. An advocacy organization’s analysis of the administration’s request; distinct from the House proposal. ↩1 ↩2
5. HRSA: Ryan White program parts and initiatives. ↩
6. HRSA: Ryan White legislation. ↩
7. NASTAD: July 2026 ADAP Watch, released July 28. Survey findings describe projected deficits; they do not mean all affected programs imposed the same restrictions. ↩
8. Florida Department of Health: HIV/AIDS management and ADAP. Current eligibility, July 1 restoration of Biktarvy and Descovy, prescription assistance, premium-assistance exclusion, and contacts. ↩1 ↩2
9. HRSA: Ryan White Parts A/B formula transition, March 16, 2026. ↩
10. CHLP: Mapping HIV Criminalization Laws in the U.S., September 15, 2026. Dated maps and methodology; overlapping categories include some broader communicable-disease offenses. ↩
11. CHLP: Positive Justice Project guiding principles, 2025. ↩1 ↩2
12. CHLP and partners: Call to Action for Racial Justice in HIV Criminal Law Reform, 2018. ↩
13. Williams Institute: HIV Criminalization in Florida, October 2018. Historical arrest incidents involving 614 people, 1986–2017; not a current count or a count of convictions. ↩
14. Florida Senate: SB 764 (2026). Died in committee March 13, 2026. ↩1 ↩2
15. Florida Senate: HB 1223 (2026). Died in committee March 13, 2026. ↩1 ↩2
16. CHLP, PWN-USA, and Sero: Pennsylvania reform and remaining harms, August 13, 2026. ↩1 ↩2
17. U.S. Supreme Court: Kennedy v. Braidwood Management, June 27, 2025. Appointments Clause decision; do not read as a guarantee that every insurance plan covers every service. ↩
18. U.S. Department of Labor: ACA implementation FAQs, Part 68, October 21, 2024. PrEP formulations and related services under the 2023 USPSTF recommendation; later-approved products require current coverage checks. ↩
19. CDC: Preventing HIV with PrEP. ↩
20. HRSA: Ryan White Part B allowable and unallowable costs. Ryan White funds cannot pay for PrEP medication or associated medical services for people without HIV. ↩
21. KFF: Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions. State policy tracker; Florida has not adopted ACA Medicaid expansion. ↩
22. HIV.gov: Ending the HIV Epidemic overview. The 90% reduction by 2030 is a goal, not an achieved result. ↩
23. HIV.gov: EHE priority jurisdictions. ↩
24. HUD: Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS. ↩
25. HRSA: 340B program requirements. ↩
26. HRSA: revised 340B rebate pilot notice, August 3, 2026. Selected Medicare negotiation drugs; planned January 1, 2027 start subject to approved manufacturer plans. This does not establish that every HIV medicine is included. ↩1 ↩2
27. Lambda Legal: AAHIVM et al. v. HRSA et al.. Case history records a bench trial September 23, 2026. Case remained open at this review; no final merits victory is claimed. ↩1 ↩2
28. KFF: PEPFAR reauthorization legislation over time. Comparison of permanent authorities and the time-limited provisions that expired in March 2025. ↩
29. amfAR: PEPFAR service-delivery impact analysis. Analysis of 2025 service data released during 2026; distinguish recorded service activity from funding proposals. ↩
30. AIDS United: Harm Reduction Futures Fund. Organization’s stated harm reduction and policy priorities. ↩
31. Save HIV Funding: FY2027 advocacy priorities, May 13, 2026. Informs the issues and structure of the original scripts; scripts below are RiseUpToHIV wording. ↩1 ↩2 ↩3
32. AIDS United: FY2027 appropriations testimony, April 23, 2026. Organization’s funding requests, not enacted allocations. ↩1 ↩2
33. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute: DC, Massachusetts, and Delaware PrEP protections, September 2, 2026. New state protections have different scope and effective dates; do not assume every employer plan is covered. ↩1 ↩2
34. Louisiana Legislature: HB 808, Act 177 (2026). Signed May 15; effective August 1, 2026. Narrows the exposure offense rather than repealing it. ↩1 ↩2
35. CHLP: Louisiana enacts significant reform, June 2, 2026. Describes Louisiana coalition leadership, Positive Justice Project support, and remaining criminalization. ↩
36. Congress.gov: S.1941, Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025. Introduced June 4, 2025; referred to Senate HELP. A proposal, not an operating assistance program. ↩1 ↩2
37. GovInfo: H.R.9682, Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2026, introduced text. House companion introduced July 14, 2026 and referred to committees; no enacted nationwide program is claimed. ↩1 ↩2
38. HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute: national HCV bill, June 4, 2025. Carl Schmid is executive director of HIV+Hepatitis Policy Institute. Its support is an advocacy position, not proof of enactment. ↩
39. Treatment Action Group: House HCV companion statement, July 21, 2026. Supports broader inclusion while seeking stronger harm reduction, correctional continuity, and community leadership. ↩1 ↩2
40. Florida Legislature: HB 5001E, section 101 and ADAP appropriation. Independent ADAP evaluation due January 31, 2027; evaluation options are not approved benefits. ↩
41. House Appropriations: Labor-HHS legislative activity. House committee approved its FY2027 bill June 9, 2026; committee passage does not enact a full-year appropriation. ↩
42. CMS: Medicaid community engagement interim final rule fact sheet, June 1, 2026. Applies to specified adult eligibility groups, with exclusions and exceptions; generally begins by January 1, 2027. ↩1 ↩2
43. Delaware General Assembly: HS 1 for HB 200, final engrossed text, section 5. Final text specifies policies issued, renewed, or otherwise changed after December 31, 2026. The bill-summary page displays a conflicting year; the final text controls this summary. ↩

This is nonpartisan policy and self-advocacy education, not individual medical or legal advice. Policies, litigation, coverage, and funding can change. Confirm personal eligibility with the program and individual legal questions with a qualified lawyer.