Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, and Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, at AIDS Action Day.
By Josh H.
Eight years ago, Minneapolis resident Bill Johnson’s immune system crashed, nearly killing him.
“My doctor looked at me one day and said, ‘Get ready,’” Johnson said.
Johnson, 44, developed full-blown AIDS in 1995, the year a new generation of HIV/AIDS medications became available.
Luckily for Johnson, the medications worked and his health improved steadily, but not without an expensive price tag. The cost of Johnson’s HIV/AIDS medications exceeded $3,000 a month, and two-thirds of his monthly paycheck went toward medical expenses.
Yesterday, Johnson joined about 100 other concerned citizens at the Minnesota State Capitol for AIDS Action Day. The lobby day, organized by the Minnesota AIDS Project, gave them a chance to discuss with legislators the bill that could ease the costs of prescription medication for low-income HIV/AIDS patients.
The HIV Prevention and Health Care Access Bill will be introduced this week in the Minnesota legislature.
“Nobody deserves to go through that hell of deciding if they can afford to [pay rent] and eat food, or die because they cannot afford their meds,” Johnson said.
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