ALBANY — Safety-net health care providers in the Capital Region are desperate to thwart a change in the way Medicaid recipients in New York receive drug coverage — set to go into effect Saturday.
A little-known federal program called 340B has for decades steered federal dollars directly into the pockets of health clinics, homeless shelters and hospitals that serve New York’s neediest communities. The initiative is poised to become part of budget talks that coincide with the implementation of the Medicaid change, which aims to reduce drug costs but also cuts off organizations’ access to 340B funds.
Advocates are especially concerned about the sustainability of the state’s 19 Ryan White organizations, which provide services to individuals and families affected by HIV.
“We’re days away from Armageddon,” said Perry Junjulas, executive director of the Damien Center in Albany.
The Damien Center provides life-saving drugs, housing, meals and mental health counseling to hundreds of Capital Region residents affected by HIV and 340B funds make up 25 percent of the center’s $3.5 million operating budget. All of those services will be in jeopardy when the 340B funding runs out, according to Junjulas.
One of the program’s beneficiaries is Frank Travis, who found a safe haven at the Damien Center in 2021 after years on the streets. He said he initially wasn’t used to “the quiet life” and bolted. The center tracked him down and brought him back.
“In this place, they take care of their own. I never had family members that were concerned about me like that … it kind of blew my mind,” Travis said.
Another Damien Center resident, Monica Cozzolino, said a years-long battle with addiction and homelessness cost her one of her legs and landed her in an assisted living facility. The Damien Center enables her to live…
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