麻豆传媒

“ASAM firmly opposes any harmful Medicaid reforms which threaten to make lifesaving addiction treatment less accessible to Americans. Should the out-of-pocket costs of treatment services for low-income Americans with addiction exceed the price of legal or illicit addictive substances due to health insurance loss or new Medicaid requirements, we risk losing valuable ground in our addiction and recovery efforts. 

In particular, we are greatly concerned that proposals to impose cost-sharing requirements on Medicaid Expansion enrollees – including those with substance use disorders – could make addiction-related treatment services even more costly than cheaper tobacco products, alcohol, and illicit drugs. Further, while we deeply appreciate the Committee’s exemption of people with a substance use disorder from the proposed work requirements, we maintain serious concerns over how this and other exemptions will be implemented. Time and energy spent on excessive bureaucratic red tape and surveillance could be better used to ensure that more Americans with low incomes can readily access and afford the medical care they need and deserve, including through programs like Medicaid Expansion.  

Medicaid Expansion is a powerful weapon against addiction and the drug cartels, because it can reduce demand for illicit substances and help more Americans with addiction enter treatment. It must be protected, especially as we continue to lose tens of thousands of lives each year to the nation’s addiction and overdose crisis.” 

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Media Contact

Sarah Shelson

301-547-4110 

sshelson@ASAM.org