The Legislature hereby finds and declares all of the following:

(a)  State-of-art knowledge regarding treatment of people infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) indicates that active HIV infection (AIDS) can be a manageable, though chronic, condition with the use of drugs such as zidovudine (AZT), aerosolized pentamidine, and ganciclovir. AIDS experts across the nation agree that early intervention with these drugs can prolong life, minimize the related occurrences of more serious illnesses, reduce more costly treatments, and maximize the HIV-infected person‘s vitality and productivity.

(b)  For reasons of compassion and cost effectiveness, the State of California has a compelling interest in ensuring that its citizens infected with the HIV virus have access to these drugs.

(c)  The department subsidizes the cost of these drugs for persons who do not have private health coverage, are not eligible for Medi-Cal, or cannot afford to purchase the drug privately. The subsidy program is funded through state and federal sources.

(d)  Congress is expected to place limitations on the federal subsidy program that will jeopardize access to these life-prolonging drugs for people whose income is higher than federal income eligibility cap but lower than the state’s income eligibility cap.

(e)  It is critical that suffering persons with limited income have access to life-prolonging drugs. It is also critical that persons currently eligible for the subsidy program remain eligible regardless of changes that may result from the congressional action and the enactment of this chapter. However, it is appropriate that people who can afford to pay a portion of the cost of treatment be obligated to share the cost of these drugs.

(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 7. Effective January 1, 1996.)