WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Trump Administration announced today that it will focus on the opioid epidemic. However, only last week the Administration fought to dismantle funding for Medicaid, which many Americans rely on for substance use disorder treatment.
If passed, TrumpCare would have repealed Medicaid expansion and cut about $4.5 billion from treatment for mental health disorders and substance use disorders—nine times the increase that President Trump requested in his budget to fight the epidemic.
As discussed in JEC's recent report, “Medicaid Plays Key Role in Fight Against Opioid and Heroin Epidemic,” Medicaid expansion has decreased the unmet need for treatment among low-income adults by 18 percent. Medicaid covers about a quarter of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid and heroin addictions, even more in states like Ohio (50 percent) and Vermont (68 percent).
Repealing Medicaid expansion would lead to more people going untreated because of lost insurance or rising costs, families and workplaces continuing to be pulled apart by the epidemic, hospitals and taxpayers getting stuck with the bill for uncompensated care, and the costs to our economy continuing to rise.
“Far too many New Mexico families have lost loved ones and many more are struggling to find treatment and recovery resources," said Senator Heinrich. “I have heard from many New Mexicans who have told me how access to health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion has helped their families and even saved their lives. Throwing all of that away will have a very real cost for hundreds of thousands of New Mexico families, and American families around the country.”
For more information, please contact Latoya Veal at Latoya_Veal@jec.senate.gov or 202-224-0379.
