Due to Medicaid cuts under Trumpcare, nearly 30,000 Washingtonians could lose access to treatment for substance, opioid use disorders
Washingtonians’ health care costs would also rise: premiums for older and sicker enrollees would skyrocket and out of pocket costs could go up for maternity care, mental health care, prescription drugs, & much more
Sen. Murray met with medical staff and individuals in recovery from substance use disorders during her visit to a community health center, hospital specializing in combating opioid addiction
ICYMI: Sen. Murray released a report last week on the disastrous consequences Trumpcare would have for families impacted by opioid crisis—LINK
Sen. Murray: “I’ve heard story after story this week about how devastating Trumpcare would be for patients and families across Washington state, especially those in communities struggling to address the opioid epidemic”
SEATTLE, WA – Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) met with patients and providers in Washington state this week to hear first-hand about how the Medicaid cuts under the Senate Republican Trumpcare bill would impact efforts to prevent and treat substance use disorders, specifically opioid addiction. Last week, Republican leadership decided to delay a vote on Trumpcare due to overwhelming pressure nationwide and lack of support from members of their own party.
Yesterday, Sen. Murray visited the Community Health Center of Snohomish County (CHC) to meet with doctors and providers and hear their concerns about Trumpcare’s cuts to Medicaid and subsequent impact on the center’s ability to treat opioid addiction. The CHC provides critical health care services to Washingtonians who participate in Medicare and Medicaid. At the CHC, Sen. Murray spoke with patients Rachel Weaver and Dan Veach, who both shared how Medicaid has helped them continue their recovery from substance use disorder.
This morning, Sen. Murray visited Swedish Hospital in Seattle to tour the pain management center and meet with doctors from the addiction medicine program who specialize in chronic pain management and opioid therapies, particularly addiction in pregnant women. Sen. Murray sat down with patients Rachael Erks and Angelina Martin to discuss their struggles combating addiction and subsequent success with treatment.
“I hope my Republican colleagues take the earful they’re getting to heart and come back ready to drop Trumpcare and all the harm it would do for patients like those I spoke with in Washington state this week, who are getting treatment for substance use disorders or access to a primary care doctor under Medicaid,” said Senator Murray. “I’ve heard story after story this week about how devastating Trumpcare would be for patients and families across Washington state, especially those in communities struggling to address the opioid epidemic, and I’m going back to the other Washington to share those stories and make clear it’s time for Republicans to drop Trumpcare once and for all.”
“Opioid addiction and deaths in Washington have been climbing over the last 15 years. It is an issue we have been working diligently to address through the Joint Opioid Safe Practices Task Force, with Senator Patty Murray’s support,” said the Washington State Medical Association and Washington State Hospital Association. “The Medicaid cuts, coupled with the $2 billion budget treatment & recovery services, proposed in the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act would have a devastating impact on those seeking help with addiction. It is vital, not only for Washington residents but for all Americans to have access to the treatment they need. This bill would pull coverage from thousands who need it, and cut funding to a fraction of the amount needed to adequately support some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
These visits to the CHC and Swedish build upon Sen. Murray’s ongoing work to combat the opioid crisis in Washington state. Last December, Sen. Murray secured $1 billion in federal funding to combat opioid addiction nationwide, including a recent $11 million investment in Washington state. With Senate Republicans doing everything they can to jam Trumpcare through the Senate, Sen. Murray has now been working to organize Democrats and stakeholders to defeat the bill.
Last week, Sen. Murray released a report to her Senate colleagues on the disastrous consequences Trumpcare would have for individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders. The report outlines how Trumpcare would remove critical protections and slash expanded Medicaid coverage that dramatically increased access to health care services for those with mental illnesses and substance use disorders. The Senate version of Trumpcare would cut over $700 billion from Medicaid over the next ten years.
This week, Sen. Murray also released a state-by-state analysis on what is at risk if the Prevention and Public Health Fund is eliminated under Trumpcare. Since 2010, the Prevention and Public Fund has invested $97 million in critical public health programs in Washington state for immunizations, outbreak preparedness, opioid epidemic response, and more. If Trumpcare passes, $5.3 billion in investments for essential public health funding would be cut over the next five years – $3 billion of which would have gone directly to states
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