I Advocate With “Facing Addiction.” New Health Care Reform May = Less Treatment Funding For Gambling Treatment too!

“It is time to step up and let OUR VOICES of RECOVERY be HEARD! DO NOT Stop Funding To Treatment Services MANY Desperately NEED To RECOVER!!”

GET INVOLVED TODAY AND SHARE YOUR VOICES!

A MESSAGE FROM FACING ADDICTION:

As the national debate increasingly focuses on health care reform, we need you to share your story of how the current healthcare system has helped you or someone you love and care about access to treatment.

We at Facing Addiction—along with a majority of the Action Network—are very concerned about the American Health Act proposed last week in the US House of Representatives. Specifically, there are two provisions that would severely reduce coverage for people seeking access to care for addiction:

1) There will no longer be a requirement for many insurance plans to offer mental health and addiction services at parity with physical health conditions – learn more here.

2) Federal support of the Medicaid expansion population in the Affordable Care Act that has provided coverage to between 1.3 and  2.8 million Americans with substance use disorders would be eliminated. This places an incredible burden on states if they are going to attempt to sustain the current coverage – learn more here.

Facing Addiction is not alone: AARP, The American Medical Association, The American Nurses Association, The American Psychological Association, and The American Hospital Association have expressed serious concerns about the proposed bill.

As this debate moves forward in the coming days, we need you – perhaps more than ever!

Given the bi-partisan nature of the addiction crisis, members of Congress, from both parties, have asked us to collect stories from people who have received access to health care and/or treatment for a substance use disorder individually, through a health insurance marketplace, or through Medicaid expansion in your state. Regardless of your politics or how you might feel about the need for national health reform, your voice is so critical.  Please, click here to share your story.

Here are some news stories from across the political spectrum that have commented on the damage that this bill will cause to those suffering from substance use disorders:

• New England Journal of Medicine – “How ACA Repeal Would Worsen the Opioid Epidemic”
• Vox – “The House’s Obamacare repeal bill would strand drug addicts without access to care”
• Breitbart – “Mental Health and Addictions Providers Condemn Changes to Healthcare System in Paul Ryan’s Obamacare 2.0”

Please, share your story TODAY on how access to care has helped your family. We will pass these stories on to officials in Congress who are debating this legislation. It has never been more important for all of us to stand together as a movement and to continue facing addiction.

Sincerely,

THE FACING ADDICTION TEAM!