How Maryland’s health system is failing on drugs and vaccines
The federal government has put the state of Maryland on notice after it missed a deadline to declare a public health emergency.
It’s been nearly two years since the first phase of a $1.2-billion program to buy the drug and vaccine products that will protect Marylanders against HIV, and the state has yet to deliver on the promise.
The state has said the delay was due to delays in getting federal funds to help with the implementation.
It has since been pushed back to 2018.
A recent survey from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health shows Marylanders are not confident they will be able to afford the drugs and vaccinations as the state’s economy slowly starts to recover.
The survey found a quarter of people surveyed said they would not be able afford to buy or buy in bulk, a percentage that has not changed in more than a year.
The federal government is now paying for at least $9 million in the first month of the program, and about $10 million in additional funding over the next two years.
The total amount of funding has not been released.
Maryland is still waiting to see if the state will be eligible for another $1 billion.