The Florida Legislature first appropriated general revenue funds to county health departments in FY 1986-87 to provide comprehensive health care services to persons infected with HIV. Florida Statute 381.0042 authorized the department to establish HIV/AIDS Patient Care Networks in regions of the State where numbers of AIDS cases justified the establishment of such entities in order to insure the cost-effective delivery of services. Each network is responsible for developing a plan for the care and treatment of individuals with HIV/AIDS in a cost-effective manner that emphasizes outpatient and home care. The first appropriation was restricted to the Miami-Dade network, known as the South Florida AIDS Network, county health departments and statewide pharmacy services.

The original allocation to General Revenue funds was approximately $5 million in 1986-87. General revenue funding allocated to the networks and county health departments are used to establish patient care clinics or programs to provide comprehensive health care services for persons infected with HIV/AIDS. The funding is intended to address a full continuum of care, including case management, with emphasis on outpatient, home care, treatment and service delivery in a cost-effective manner either directly or through contractual agreement.

In Miami-Dade County, the South Florida AIDS Network (SFAN) currently receives $8,725,245 in general revenue funds under proviso language from the Florida Legislature. This funding is for HIV/AIDS services provided by SFAN and other community service providers that subcontract with SFAN. Services include outpatient medical care, case management, mental health services, prescription drugs, home health care, nursing home care, outpatient substance abuse, health education/risk reduction, residential care (adult/child), transportation and inpatient hospital care.