Our Impact
Since 1989, GAC has shaped the laws and funding streams that determine who gets care, who gets protected, and who gets left behind in Georgia.
Research
The economic case for HIV investment
A landmark 2024 Emory University study found that Georgia’s investment in HIV antiretroviral treatment has returned $107.2 billion in economic value over 25 years, preventing tens of thousands of infections and deaths while delivering a 3.4× return to the public sector.
This research, conducted by Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health, provides the clearest evidence yet that treating HIV is not just a moral imperative — it is sound fiscal policy.
$107.2B
total economic value returned over 25 years
57,885
new infections prevented since 1987
36,921
deaths prevented through treatment
$3.40
returned for every $1 invested in HIV treatment
legislative history
35 years of advocacy wins
From HIV criminalization reform to syringe services to pharmacist-initiated PrEP, GAC has been at the table for every major HIV policy milestone in Georgia.
Pharmacist-Initiated PrEP & PEP — SB 315
Passed the Georgia General Assembly. Allows pharmacists to prescribe and dispense PrEP and PEP directly, removing a major barrier to HIV prevention for thousands of Georgians.
AI or Automated Software
Restricts insurers from using artificial intelligence as the sole basis to override medical professional judgment or deny prior authorization.
Gold Card Program
A "gold card" program requiring insurers to implement systems that selectively reduce prior authorization requirements for high-performing providers.
Prenatal HIV & Syphilis Screening
GAC-backed legislation now requires HIV and syphilis testing at the first prenatal visit, at 28 to 32 weeks, and at delivery, closing gaps in prenatal screening.
PrEP Services Expanded Statewide
At the end of the three-year PrEP pilot program, funding increased to expand PrEP medication and related HIV prevention services statewide.
Prior Authorizations for Chronic Conditions
Passed to set rules ensuring prior authorizations for chronic conditions requiring ongoing therapy remain valid for at least one year.
HIV Criminalization Modernization
Updated Georgia’s HIV criminalization statutes to reflect modern science, reducing stigma and protecting people living with HIV from prosecution for non-harmful activities.
Ensuring Transparency in Prior Authorization Act
Addresses barriers to medical care by introducing structural reforms to how health insurance companies handle prior authorizations.
PrEP Pilot Program Established
Authorized DPH to establish a three-year PrEP pilot program providing PrEP medication and related HIV prevention services to areas in Georgia that lacked access to these services.
Syringe Services Programs Legalized
After years of advocacy, GAC helped pass legislation legalizing syringe service programs in Georgia, an evidence-based harm reduction intervention that reduces HIV and Hepatitis C transmission.
Step Therapy
Establishes a clear, transparent exception and appeals process so that patients with debilitating or chronic conditions can bypass step therapy when it is medically necessary.
Expedited Partner Therapy
Expedited Partner Therapy allows the sex partners of a patient diagnosed with chlamydia or gonorrhea to receive treatment without first being examined by the healthcare provider.
Hepatitis C Treatment Access
Advocated successfully for Georgia Medicaid to cover direct-acting antiviral treatments for Hepatitis C, providing curative therapy to thousands of low-income Georgians.
HIV Partner Notification Improvements
Worked with Georgia DPH to strengthen partner notification procedures, ensuring more Georgians were informed of potential exposure and linked to testing and care.
Standby Guardianship Act
The Standby Guardianship Act allowed parents or legal guardians to designate a standby guardian who can assume care for a minor child if the parent becomes physically or mentally incapacitated, without termination of parental rights.
Georgia AIDS Coalition Founded
GAC was founded by community members and advocates responding to the AIDS crisis in Georgia, with a mission to educate policymakers and connect Georgians to care.
current threats
What we’re fighting now
100%
Proposed cut to CDC HIV prevention funding
The FY2027 federal budget proposes eliminating 78% of CDC funding for HIV prevention. This would devastate Georgia’s testing, outreach, and prevention infrastructure.
10.5K
Georgians who depend on Ryan White funding
The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program is the largest federal program dedicated to HIV care. Proposed cuts would eliminate or reduce care for thousands of low-income Georgians living with HIV.
25%
Of eligible Georgians currently on PrEP
Only 25.3% of Georgians who could benefit from PrEP currently receive it. Cuts to prevention funding would widen this gap at a critical moment.
Sources
- Georgia DPH — HIV Surveillance Summary Fact Sheet, Georgia, 2024
- Emory / Rough Draft Atlanta — HIV treatment saved Georgia over $100 billion (2026)
- CDC — HIV Data & Statistics
- KFF — Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: Federal Funding and Financing
