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Welcome to 2026 with U.S. Business Action to End HIV!

This year marks a pivotal moment for our Coalition as we deepen our work with nearly 100 employers committed to ending the HIV epidemic. In the months ahead, we'll expand corporate engagement, advance relationships with federal agencies, and build on our media and entertainment initiative to bring contemporary HIV stories to mainstream audiences.

Our Government Relations & Public Affairs Cohort kicked off the year earlier this week with a discussion on FY26 funding and proposed ADAP changes in Florida. Below, Cohort Chair Carl Schmid shares key insights on what businesses should be watching.

Our Members in Action

• ‍Avita Care Solutions elevated their team member Freda Jones, whose experience living with HIV and advocacy work was recently recognized in the new Hulu documentary “Living Proof,” produced by Gilead Sciences. The World AIDS Day special honors resilience, commemorates lives lost, and amplifies the voices of those living and thriving with HIV today.
• In an interview with the Los Angeles Blade, MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft highlighted the cultural shift around HIV and stigma, the threat that federal funding cuts could pose to people living with HIV, and the role that the private sector can play in filling the gap. 

Our Coalition in Action

We’re spending January working closely with our members to renew membership, identify 2026 actions, and map out the year ahead.

As a reminder, members are invited to commit to at least one of the following six actions:

1. Raise visibility of HIV: Publicly share corporate commitment to the Coalition and extend a call to action for others to join the movement.
2. Strengthen HIV services for employees: Review and bolster HIV health benefits and nondiscrimination policies for workers.
3. Educate workers and end HIV Stigma: Educate employees about HIV and create workplaces free of HIV stigma and discrimination.
4. Advocate for policy and systems change: Champion public policies that improve access to HIV services and strengthen public funding.
5. Support local communities most affected by HIV: Leverage unique expertise, infrastructure, and capabilities to strengthen HIV prevention and care, partnering with local HIV service providers.
6. Provide financial support: Contribute funding to strengthen the Coalition’s public health response and/or support HIV service organizations in local communities.

This year, we are also excited to continue our Government Relations and Public Affairs Cohort work, amplifying the voice of business in HIV policy and pursuing opportunities to collaborate with government to help end HIV. 

We will also continue advancing authentic HIV storytelling in media and entertainment to reduce stigma, educate audiences, and support the goal of ending HIV by 2030. More details about that work will be shared soon!

Not a member yet and interested in joining our community? Learn about membership and benefits here.

This newsletter is made possible with additional support from

Ask an Expert

A new series that spotlights insights from experts on timely, important topics relevant to HIV and business.

Carl Schmid

Executive Director

HIV+HEP Policy Institute

With Congress releasing the 2026 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill, what are the key HIV policy initiatives that businesses should watch in 2026?

Thanks to the yearlong advocacy of the HIV community and its allies in the business community, Congress rejected the potential $1.7 billion cuts to domestic HIV prevention and treatment programs.  

We know a lot of people across the country took part in these efforts, and fortunately, it paid off. Unfortunately, we may very well witness a repeat of proposed cuts this year after the president proposes his budget and as Congress makes its funding decisions for FY27. Therefore, we will all need to weigh in again to ensure these programs are sustained. But, hopefully, with the funding secured for this year, the federal government and all of us can focus on implementing the HIV prevention and treatment programs necessary to put our country towards ending HIV. The business community should be looking for opportunities to partner with federal and state governments and their grantees to carry out these programs.

Other issues on the policy front will include how much Americans pay for prescription drugs, which has been a high priority for President Trump. Affordability of everything, and that includes health care, will continue to be on policymakers' agenda, particularly as we enter the midterm elections. Connected to that is access to health care, whether it is private insurance or Medicaid; those issues will also continue to play out. Specifically in the HIV arena, uptake of long-acting PrEP drugs will be closely watched, and how they are incorporated into our health system. This will be highly driven by payer coverage of the drugs along with their associated services. 

Florida’s recent proposed changes to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) could significantly limit access to HIV medications. For businesses with employees in Florida, what are the potential implications for employee health outcomes, benefit costs, and workforce stability?

Right now, we must do everything possible to fight these proposed changes that can result in 16,000 people losing access to their HIV drugs. This has been unheard of in the history of the program. ADAP is a federal program, but run by the state. There has been no decrease in federal funding, which means the state is having major challenges in managing its ADAP program and will hopefully seek help to make sure these drastic cuts do not happen.

Without access to their drugs or if they are forced to switch to less effective medications, this will certainly impact the health of these ADAP clients. Without their medications, people will sadly become sick and eventually die. We don’t talk about that much anymore because we are so accustomed to people having access to life-saving antiretrovirals, but that could all change. We can’t let that happen in our own country and have to seek solutions.

Are there signals that other states may pursue similar ADAP or HIV program changes? What should multi-state employers be watching for as an early warning sign?

With people losing insurance coverage or in a situation that they can no longer afford their premiums and deductibles, along with Medicaid recipients being subject to policies that can result in them losing coverage, there are already added pressures to state ADAP programs throughout the country. We are also trying to bring more people into the program through expanded HIV testing and other outreach initiatives.

Just last year, over 19,000 new people were brought into the ADAP program. Remember, federal funding has remained flat for ADAP for years now. Some states, such as Pennsylvania, have already cut back on their eligibility requirements. I think we are at a time that flat federal funding is not acceptable, and one of our priorities this year will be asking for increases from Congress for the national ADAP program. If we don’t, we can see what is happening in Florida, which again, can be fixed by the state, happen in other states.

NASTAD will be bringing back its monthly report that details cost-cutting initiatives that are being taken by the various states, so monitoring those reports will be useful. And we will need the business community’s advocacy with Congress and state governors to get the needed increases in state and federal funding for ADAP.

Coming Up

Mark your calendar for the following Coalition member convenings and national HIV awareness days:

• Feb. 7: National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• March 4: Q1 Member Convening, 1-2 p.m. ET (Virtual)
• March 10: National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• March 20: National Native American HIV/AIDS Awareness Day
• June 3: Q2 Member Convening, 1-2 p.m. ET (Virtual)
• Sep. 9: Q3 Member Convening, 1-2 p.m. ET (Virtual)
• Nov. 18 & 19: Annual Coalition Convening & World AIDS Day Reception (In-person, location TBD)

Thank you for your commitment and leadership. Let's keep up the momentum!

The Health Action Alliance is solely responsible for the content of this page and maintains full editorial control of its resources.

U.S. Business Action to End HIV was founded in 2022 by the Health Action Alliance, with support from ViiV Healthcare, to mobilize a growing coalition of private sector partners committed to filling gaps and accelerating progress to help end HIV in the U.S. by 2030.

The Health Action Alliance is a unique collaboration between leading business, communications, and public health organizations to help employers navigate evolving health challenges, improve the health of workers, and engage with public health partners to build stronger, healthier communities. Founded in 2021 by the Ad Council, Business Roundtable, CDC Foundation, the de Beaumont Foundation, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, HAA's network now includes more than 11,000 employers nationwide, reaching a quarter of U.S. workers.