Florida Department of Health cuts to HIV, AIDS program enacted as thousands risk losing access
Health officials blamed rising health care costs and lack of federal funding. (Elisa Schu/picture alliance via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — An emergency rule from the Florida Department of Health went into effect on Sunday that could restrict tens of thousands of people from accessing HIV medication.
The state issued cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP), a federal-state partnership that provides free FDA-approved HIV medication for low-income, uninsured or underinsured people.
Under the emergency rule, eligibility for ADAP was lowered to include those at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, which equals about $20,345 per year for a one-person household, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Previous eligibility was at or below 400% of the poverty level, which equals about $62,600 per year for a one-person household, according to HHS.
Additionally, the emergency rule limits insurance coverage of Biktarvy, a once-daily pill to treat HIV and used by about 60% of those enrolled in ADAP.
HIV advocates estimate that as many as 16,000 of the 30,000 Floridians enrolled in ADAP could be at risk of restricted access.
“These cuts will impact communities throughout the state, will threaten the lives of people with HIV and will lead to spikes in new HIV diagnoses and a rise in health care costs as people with HIV develop serious infections requiring hospitalization,” said Dr. Anna K. Person, chair of the HIV Medicine Association, a community of health care professionals that works toward advancing the response of the HIV epidemic, in a statement.
“HIV treatment disruptions of this magnitude will result in a public health disaster. Florida must follow due process and work with health care professionals, people with HIV and the state legislature to address any funding challenges,” the statement continued.
The new emergency rule is only in effect for 90 days and cannot be renewed unless a rule is proposed to implement the changes through formal administrative rulemaking.
Health officials have cited the “rising health care insurance premiums nationwide” and lack of federal funding as reason for the cuts. Officials said the adjustments will prevent a shortfall of more than $120 million for the state.
The Florida Department of Health did not immediately return ABC News’ request for comment.
The Food and Drug Administration headquarters is shown in White Oak, Md. (Al Drago/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE)
(NEW YORK) — The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the drug Auvelity this week for the treatment of agitation in adults with Alzheimer’s dementia.
The extended-release tablet is the first FDA-approved medication for this condition that is not an anti-psychotic.
Anti-psychotics carry serious risks including stroke, sedation and increased death in older adults, according to the FDA. Having a non-antipsychotic option may be safer for patients, experts say.
“We’ve needed a drug like this for decades, because agitation related to Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most challenging, disheartening symptoms that we manage,” Dr. Richard Issacson, director of research at the Institute of Neurodegenerative Diseases in Florida, told ABC News. “This new drug would be used because their tolerability profile is better.”
Auvelity was initially approved by the FDA in 2022 to treat major depressive disorder in adults. It carries a boxed warning for a higher risk of suicidal thoughts in teens and young adults taking antidepressants.
However, two recent randomized clinical trials found that the drug improved agitation symptoms in patients with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease based on caregiver reports and survey data, and helped delay relapse compared to a placebo.
Studies show the drug works by affecting brain chemicals such as glutamate and dopamine to help calm the overactive signals in the brain linked to agitation. Reported side effects include dizziness, nausea, headache, dry mouth, sweating and diarrhea.
The FDA cautions that Auvelity can worsen or reveal suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially when starting the medication. It may also worsen irritability or mania in some patients. It’s additionally been linked to an increased risk for seizures, especially at higher doses, and may increase blood pressure.
Clinicians should closely monitor patients when initiating this treatment and throughout the treatment course, experts advise.
As of 2026, about 7.4 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. This number is expected to grow to 13.8 million by 2060.
Studies show the drug works by affecting brain chemicals such as glutamate and dopamine to help calm the overactive signals in the brain linked to agitation. Reported side effects include dizziness, nausea, headache, dry mouth, sweating and diarrhea.
The FDA cautions that Auvelity can worsen or reveal suicidal thoughts and behaviors, especially when starting the medication. It may also worsen irritability or mania in some patients. It’s additionally been linked to an increased risk for seizures, especially at higher doses, and may increase blood pressure.
Clinicians should closely monitor patients when initiating this treatment and throughout the treatment course, experts advise.
As of 2026, about 7.4 million Americans aged 65 and older are living with Alzheimer’s dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. This number is expected to grow to 13.8 million by 2060.
Agitation is one of the most common and burdensome symptoms for those with Alzheimer’s dementia. A JAMA Neurology study found that 50 to 60% of people with Alzheimer’s experience agitation symptoms at some point.
Issacson said there needs to be more hope for Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones.
“We also know that it’s not just about drugs. People can exercise, live a healthy lifestyle, eat a Mediterranean style diet, and manage risk factors like blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes,” Issacson said. “People can really take control of their brain health, reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s and have better treatment outcomes. There’s hope and there’s so much education and information now online. I think we’re making a lot of progress.”
Dr. Crystal Joseph, MD, MS is an anesthesiology resident at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon testifies during the House Natural Resources Committee hearing on Thursday, June 15, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon signed a bill into law on Monday banning abortion in the state after a “fetal heartbeat” has been detected.
HB 126, or the Human Heartbeat Act, prohibits abortion once cardiac activity is identified, which is around six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant.
If cardiac activity is detected, an abortion can only be performed in the case of a medical emergency, meaning if the life of the mother is in danger or if continuing the pregnancy would cause serious or irreversible impairment of a major bodily function, according to the bill.
The bill does not include exceptions for pregnancies as a result of rape or incest.
Any person who intentionally or knowingly violates the act will be charged with a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both, according to the bill.
“Today I signed the Human Heartbeat Act into law, reaffirming my view that life is sacred. I resoundingly share the determination to defend the lives of unborn children and support the intentions behind the Human Heartbeat Act,” Gordon wrote in a post on X on Monday.
Previously, abortion was allowed in Wyoming until fetal viability, which occurs between 24 and 26 weeks of gestation.
Wyoming is now the fifth state at least to have a “heartbeat ban” following bans enacted in Florida, Georgia, Iowa and South Carolina.
“This ban is an attack on Wyomingites’ constitutional freedom to make their own health care decisions, and it puts the health and well-being of our communities at risk,” Julie Burkhart, president of Wellspring Health Access, Wyoming’s only abortion clinic, said in a statement.
“Every day that this law is in effect means people in our state will face even greater barriers to abortion care — and some may be denied this care altogether,” the statement continued. “With so many across Wyoming already struggling to access reproductive health care, restrictive policies like these take us further in the wrong direction.”
Burkhart said Wellspring Health Access is prepared to challenge the ban in court and will continue to work with regional and national partners to help patients access the care they need.
Gordon wrote in the post on X that he was concerned the bill was “well-intentioned” but would lead to a “fragile legal effort with significant risk of ending in the courts rather than in lasting, durable policy.”
Gordon suggested that voters should decide on the issue and that a question be placed on a ballot asking if an abortion ban should be cemented in the state constitution.
A view of the Dutch-flagged vessel MV Hondius is seen navigating the Atlantic Ocean near Saint Helena Island on April 24, 2026. (Emin Yogurtcuoglu/Anadolu via Getty Images)
(LONDON) — An epidemiologist from the World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that the suspected hantavirus cluster aboard a cruise ship is not the beginning of another COVID-19 pandemic.
Eight cases are currently being reported by the WHO, including five laboratory-confirmed cases and three suspected cases. Of those eight cases, three have died.
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, an infectious disease epidemiologist and acting director of epidemic and pandemic management at the WHO, was asked during a press conference what the difference was between this cluster and the early days of the COVID pandemic.
“I want to be unequivocal here. This is not SARS-CoV-2. This is not the start of a COVID pandemic. This is an outbreak that we see on a ship,” Van Kerkhove said.
Van Kerkhove explained that hantavirus doesn’t spread in the same way that coronaviruses do, but rather through “close, intimate contact.” Most hantaviruses don’t transmit from person to person.
“The actions that are being taken on board [the ship] are precautionary to prevent any onward spread,” she added.
There appears to be one confirmed case and two suspected cases that have not been added to the WHO’s official count yet.
Officials told ABC News a female individual, who was on a KLM flight with the Dutch female patient who later died, developed symptoms and was admitted to a hospital. Leiden University Medical Centre in the Netherlands confirmed on Thursday that the female patient has hantavirus and is receiving care.
Additionally, two Singapore residents who were on board the ship are currently being monitored. Singapore’s Communicable Diseases Agency said it was notified of the individuals on May 4 and May 5.
“They have been isolated at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, where they are being tested for hantavirus. The risk to the general public in Singapore is currently low,” the agency said.
The agency added that test results are pending, with one resident having a runny nose and the other is asymptomatic.
Three deaths have been recorded so far, including a married Dutch couple. The 70-year-old male patient died on April 11, and his body was taken off the ship on the island of St. Helena on April 24. His 69-year-old wife disembarked on the same day, and her health rapidly deteriorated. She died at an emergency department in South Africa on April 26.
A third passenger, a German woman, presented with pneumonia symptoms starting on April 28, according to the WHO. The woman died on May 2 from causes not yet known, according to Oceanwide Expeditions, which operates the cruise ship.
The WHO said 29 people disembarked on St. Helena on the same day that the body of the Dutch male patient and his wife disembarked.
They traveled to 12 countries: Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Great Britain, St. Kitts and Nevis, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey and the United States.
The disembarked guests have all been contacted by Oceanwide Expeditions. In the U.S., local authorities in three states — Arizona, Georgia and California — are monitoring the disembarked passengers and are conducting contact tracing, None have shown signs of illness at this time.
Anais Legend, technical lead for viral hemorrhagic fevers at WHO, said during the press conference on Thursday that “step-by-step guidance is being developed” for the disembarked passengers and that the WHO is coordinating with national authorities.
Anyone with any signs of symptoms will be isolated while other passengers have their risk exposure evaluated.
Public health experts said they expected a more robust response from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DC) and the National Institutes of Health.
“The CDC would typically be asked by WHO or by a country to help in technical assistance,” Dr. Carlos del Rio, an H. Cliff Sauls distinguished professor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine, told reporters on Thursday.
Typically, CDC teams would be deployed to an area, he said, and the teams would perform contact tracing and interviews and conduct an outbreak investigation.
“I would envision by now, many, many days ago, we would have seen a team from CDC deployed to the area,” he added.
Dr. Jeanna Marrazzo, CEO of the IDSA, added that she would have expected a CDC press briefing, an alert from the agency’s Health Alert Network or information from the NIH on potential treatments in the pipeline that could receive emergency use authorization to help treat hantavirus patients.
Marrazzo said she is not aware that conservations about potential therpaies at NIH aren’t happening but that it “doesn’t give me a lot of assurance or reassurance that we are not hearing any of that.”
The WHO said during Thursday’s press briefing that the U.S. is coordinating with the global health agency in a technical capacity.
Because the cluster is limited and confined to a cruise ship, the “idea of sending messages across the world and panicking everyone is not required,” said Dr. Abdirahman Mahmoud, director of the WHO’s health emergency alert and response operations.
He added that the WHO is “informally” aware that contact tracing has been done of the U.S. passengers who disembarked last month and are back home.
