MORE THAN 150 U.S. NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND COMMUNITY HEALTH PROVIDERS URGE CONGRESS TO PASS A FULL BUDGET THAT PROTECTS THE HEALTH AND SYSTEMS OF CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS

Congress Faces Shutdown Choice:
Fully Fund HIV Care or Trigger a Public-Health Crisis

October 3, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C. – October 1, 2025 – National organizers of the #SaveHIVFunding campaign today responded to news of the government shutdown, in which nearly $2B of HIV funding for national prevention and treatment programs as well as critical care for Americans remains in the crosshairs of the congressional budget in debate.

As Americans grapple with the realities of the shutdown – the first in more than seven years – the #SaveHIVFunding campaign warns that decades of progress toward ending the HIV epidemic now hang in the balance. With Democrats taking a stand to protect healthcare access, this campaign urges Congress to follow the Senate’s lead and pass a full-year budget that fully funds HIV programs. Any cuts will mean lost services, increased HIV transmissions, preventable AIDS-related deaths, and billions in avoidable healthcare costs.

The #SaveHIVFunding campaign also stands in full support of efforts to protect healthcare access, including Democratic demands to restore funding to Medicaid, which provides healthcare coverage for 40% of people living with HIV, and calls for a permanent extension of enhanced premium tax credits that will save Americans’ hard-earned money. Efforts to end HIV and expand access to innovative new healthcare interventions, such as a recently approved six-month injectable PrEP, require a functioning healthcare system.

The brinksmanship and political spin do not change the fact that proposed cuts to HIV funding and healthcare have very real consequences for Americans all across the nation, in red and blue communities alike. Multiple recent analyses have been conducted on the consequences of lost HIV treatment, testing, prevention, and other services, and the conclusion is clear: HIV funding cuts lead to more deaths, more transmissions, and tens of billions of dollars in additional healthcare expenses over the next five years. HIV funding is a cost-saving, common-sense investment that all members of Congress should be able to support easily.

Today, the #SaveHIVFunding campaign, composed of more than 150 organizations across the country, have issued an action alert encouraging all stakeholders fighting to end the HIV epidemic and protect the well-being of people living with HIV to call their members of Congress and demand that they protect the health of all Americans by saving HIV funding, restoring Medicaid funding, and permanently extending the enhanced premium tax credits. We invite everyone to make use of Save HIV Funding social media assets and to uplift resources from the SaveHIVFunding.org website, including video testimonials on the importance of HIV funding from around the nation and state-level fact sheets on the impact of funding cuts.

For over 35 years, Republicans and Democrats alike have enthusiastically supported critical HIV programs. With so many lives saved, healthcare costs averted, and with American innovation placing us within reach of ending this deadly epidemic, Congress must pass a full budget that protects all HIV programs and services and reinforces healthcare access for Americans.

HIV FUNDING FAST FACTS:
State-by-State Resources & Fact Sheets HERE

Federal HIV programs have more than 35 years of bipartisan support: In 2003, President George W. Bush created PEPFAR (the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief), which has saved 25 million lives worldwide. Domestically, Bush signed reauthorizations of the Ryan White CARE Act, expanding federal support for HIV care. Protecting HIV funding has historically been a bipartisan commitment to public health and stability.
Federal HIV programs are cost-effective: Every $1 invested in HIV prevention saves the health care system $3 to $7 in future treatment costs. Cuts would increase long-term spending.
Medicaid is the largest source of coverage for people with HIV in the U.S., covering roughly 40% of people living with HIV. Medicaid expansion has been associated with a 33% increase in PrEP prescriptions. Cuts to HIV funding would have ripple effects across the entire Medicaid system, limiting access to care for millions of low-income Americans
HIV care is part of the U.S. health care system: Federal HIV funding supports access to preventive care, primary care, mental health services, housing, and medications. Cutting these funds would destabilize programs millions of Americans depend on — including those living with chronic conditions, low-income families, and uninsured people.
Over 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, and over 500,000 rely on federal programs like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program for lifesaving medication and care.
HIV prevention funding protects everyone: The federal government funds access to PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a daily medication that reduces the risk of HIV infection by 99%. Rolling back funding would increase new HIV infections and long-term costs to the health care system.
HIV funding is about more than one disease: These programs create a blueprint for coordinated, federally funded responses to health crises — from the opioid epidemic to COVID-19. Gutting HIV funding would weaken America’s preparedness for future public health threats.
HIV funding protects vulnerable communities: Black and Latino communities account for more than 65% of new HIV diagnoses. Protecting these funds is about protecting racial and health equity.

About the Save HIV Funding Campaign:

Launched in 2023 by PrEP4All, AVAC, and the HIV Medicine Association in partnership with the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, the Save HIV Funding campaign is supported by over 150 national and local organizations. The campaign began in response to proposed Congressional cuts to federal HIV programs and successfully helped avert $1.5 billion in domestic HIV funding cuts.

In early 2025, the campaign expanded in response to the Trump Administration’s escalating efforts to dismantle essential HIV services and infrastructure. Today, Save HIV Funding continues to mobilize advocates, patients, healthcare providers, and public figures to ensure access to lifesaving care for everyone impacted by HIV.