Emergency Financial Assistance

Emergency Financial Assistance (EFA) provides limited one-time or short-term payments to assist a patient with an urgent need for essential items or services necessary to improve health outcomes, including: utilities, housing, food (including groceries and food vouchers), transportation, medication not covered by an AIDS Drug Assistance Program or AIDS Pharmaceutical Assistance or another allowable cost needed to improve health outcomes.

EFA must occur as a direct payment to an agency or through a voucher program.

Emergency Financial Assistance can be used for the following support services:

• Essential services-utilities (water, gas, electric), food, medications
• Uncovered medically prescribed items
• Over the counter medications needed for supportive therapy
• Funds awarded under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program may be used to purchase essential non-food household products as part of a Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funded Food Bank support service. These include essential items such as: Personal hygiene products, Household cleaning supplies, and/or Water filtration/ purification devices (either portable filter/pitcher combinations or filters attached to a single water tap) in communities/areas where recurrent problems with water purity exist. Such devices (including their replacement filter cartridges) purchased with Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funds must meet National Sanitation Foundation standards for absolute cyst removal of particles less than one micron. This policy does not permit installation of permanent systems for filtration of all water entering a private residence.
• Program may be used to provide "Psychosocial Support Services" that include pastoral care/counseling services, provided that the pastoral counseling is provided by an institutional pastoral care program (e.g., components of AIDS interfaith networks, separately incorporated pastoral care and counseling centers, or as a component of services provided by a licensed provider, such as a home care or hospice provider). Programs are to be licensed or accredited wherever such licensure or accreditation is either required or available. In addition, Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program funded pastoral counseling MUST be available to all individuals eligible to receive Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program services, regardless of their religious or denominational affiliation.
• Funds may be used to provide transportation services for an eligible individual to access HIV-related health services, including services needed to maintain the client in HIV/AIDS medical care. If Client has covered transportation with insurance we will not provide transportation through Ryan White. Sunshine Family Cares will provide gas cards or tokens for the transit system.
• Funds may be used for legal services directly necessitated by an individual's HIV/AIDS serostatus. These services include but are not limited to: a Preparation of Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, Interventions necessary to ensure access to eligible benefits, including discrimination or breach of confidentiality litigation as it relates to services eligible for funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program, and Permanency planning for an individual or family where the responsible adult is expected to pre-decease a dependent (usually a minor child) due to HIV/AIDS; includes the provision of social service counseling or legal counsel regarding (1) the drafting of wills or delegating powers of attorney, and (2) preparation for custody options for legal dependents including standby guardianship, joint custody or adoption.

Emergency Financial Assistance can NOT be used for the following:

• Funds may NOT be used for household appliances, pet foods or other non-essential products
• Funds may NOT be used to pay local or State personal property taxes (for residential property, private automobiles, or any other personal property against which taxes may be levied)
• Funds may not permit installation of permanent systems for filtration of all water entering a private residence
• Funds may NOT be used for direct maintenance expense (tires, repairs, etc.) of a privately owned vehicle or any other costs associated with a vehicle, such as lease or loan payments, insurance, or license and registration fees.
• Funds may NOT be used for any criminal defense, or for class-action suits unrelated to access to services eligible for funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.
• Funds may NOT be used for funeral, burial, cremation, or related expenses
• Funds may NOT be used to support employment, vocational, or employment-readiness services
• Funds may NOT be used for gym memberships
• Funds may NOT be used to purchase clothing
• Funds may NOT be used for improving land, or to purchase construct, or permanently improve (other than minor remodeling) any building or facility
• Funds may NOT be used for Pre-exposure prophylaxis