Impact

Meet Tom

A longtime resident of Provincetown, Tom was diagnosed HIV positive in 1994. “There wasn’t a lot of information or services at that time down on the Cape,” he reflects. It took years of trial and error to find the right medication regime to treat Tom’s HIV without debilitating side effects. Shortly thereafter Tom fell on hard times: he lost family members, had to sell his business, lost his health insurance, and was faced with the possibility of not being able to pay for his life-saving medications.

Fortunately, Tom connected with CRI and was immediately enrolled in our HIV Drug Assistance Program (HDAP) and Comprehensive Health Insurance Initiative (CHII) to help him pay for his medications, navigate health insurance, and cover his insurance premium payments. He has since relied on CRI programs for over 20 years. When discussing the cost of his treatment over the years Tom says that “it would have taken all my funds if I had to pay out of pocket and I really don’t know how I would have done without your programs”.

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health there are more than 23,073 people living with HIV in MA^*, many of whom wouldn’t be able to afford the financial burden or navigate their insurance without support. But our staff and lifesaving programs are here to help.

Tom adds: “CRI’s programs are a lifeline for people that may not have access to affordable health care”

Join us in our important work: your support will help us realize our shared vision of making Massachusetts a healthier, more equitable place for every resident.

* https://www.mass.gov/lists/hivaids-epidemiologic-profiles Published September 2020.