Manchin Releases Report Detailing How the House Healthcare Bill Would Worsen the Opioid Crisis
Washington, D.C. – Today U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) released a report detailing how the House Healthcare bill would worsen the opioid crisis in West Virginia after participating in a conference call with Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Huntington Police Chief Joe Ciccarelli and other law enforcement officials.
“Now is not the time to reduce and eliminate the critical funding being used to fight the opioid epidemic,” Senator Manchin said. “As many as 2.8 million Americans with a substance use disorder would lose some or all of their insurance if the ACA’s consumer protections and Medicaid expansion are eliminated. In fact, of the 175,000 West Virginians who gained coverage through the expansion, more than 50,000 have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder and given the chance to get treatment. The CBO estimates that under the AHCA, out-of-pocket spending on mental health and substance abuse services could increase by thousands of dollars a year for individuals who use those services. Individuals and families struggling with opioid abuse should not be saddled with thousands of dollars in bills or be at risk of losing access to the treatment they need as they try to save their children and loved ones. They need our support and our commitment to increasing funding and expanding access to treatment and I will be fighting to protect this funding and access at all costs.”
To read Senator Manchin’s full report, click here.
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