By BJ Austin
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-959700.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas County Health officials are pleading with the state NOT to cut funding for HIV medication.
The Senate subcommittee on Medicaid is recommending elimination of funding for HIV drugs for low income patients, some 14 thousand statewide.
Zach Thompson is director of Dallas County Health and Human Services.
Thompson: They really need their medication and to totally make a statement that you're going to cut the funding, and you know that people will die because they're not getting medication, it's the hardest thing I've seen in all the years of dealing with the Legislative process.
Thompson says is department serves more than 1800 HIV/AIDS patients, and 58 of them would lose their medication.