AHF launched the Positive Healthcare Florida initiative in 1999 to provide a comprehensive network of care for HIV patients on Medicaid, including treatment, prevention, education, and support, that broke barriers in the state’s managed care landscape and was already a resounding success by its fifth anniversary.
PHP Florida was the largest AIDS managed care contract in the nation and followed AHF’s successful launch of Positive Healthcare California in 1995. It celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2004, along with the remarkable achievement of saving 52 million dollars for the state of Florida and serving nearly 10,000 patients that year alone. The program was a “shining star in an otherwise troubled disease management initiative undertaken by the state,” as reported in a 2004 AHF press release.
There were only five disease management programs in Florida at the time — for asthma, congestive heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, and HIV/AIDS — with AHF’s PHP Florida running the HIV/AIDS program, which was the only program in the state to meet its fiduciary or patient goals. It reached nearly 70% of eligible residents, whereas the other programs averaged just 25%.
These achievements were attributed to the fact that “Positive Healthcare’s dedicated staff is on the front lines, going to people’s homes, restaurants, and anywhere else possible to assess 100% of their clients face-to-face,” said Donna Stidham, AHF Chief of Managed Care in the 2004 press release. Meanwhile, Florida’s Legislature dropped its similar contracts with Big Pharma companies Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., AstraZeneca PLC., and GlaxoSmithKline PLC. for their poor performance, failing where AHF succeeded.
PHP Florida continues to succeed in providing critical HIV care to Medicaid patients to this day, 25 years later.
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