GOP Committee Blaming Medicaid for Opioid Epidemic
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What’s the story?
On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, led by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), held a hearing on "Unintended Consequences: Medicaid and the Opioid Epidemic."
The committee’s GOP staff simultaneously released a report titled: "Drugs for Dollars: How Medicaid Helps Fuel the Opioid Epidemic."
Ryan and his fellow Republicans’ argument is that Medicaid - and its expansion under Obamacare – is contributing to the opioid crisis by making it easier for recipients to abuse and resell painkillers.
Why does it matter?
During the hearing on Wednesday, Sen. Johnson said:
"American taxpayers are providing well-intentioned funds into some of these programs and those funds are being utilized to divert drugs, sell them on the open market and in some cases fuel some pretty interesting criminal enterprises or just support a lifestyle of non-work, which is not healthy."
As USA Today explained, "Johnson called on the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to detail what the administration is doing to prevent Medicaid fraud tied to the obtaining and selling of opioids."
Claire McCaskill of Missouri, the committee’s top Democrat, was out with the flu. But she refuted the report in a prepared statement:
"This idea that Medicaid expansion is fueling the rise in opioid deaths is total hogwash. It is not supported by the facts. And I am concerned that this committee is using taxpayer dollars to push out this misinformation to advance a political agenda."
According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, above-average opioid death rates can be found in both Medicaid expansion and non-expansion states. The Foundation also notes that "Medicaid plays a central role in the nation’s efforts to address the opioid crisis."
What do you think?
Does "Medicaid plays a central role in the nation’s efforts to address the opioid crisis"? Or do you agree with the GOP report that "Medicaid helps fuel the opioid epidemic"? Hit Take Action and tell your reps, then share your thoughts below.
—Josh Herman
Related Reading
Due To Opioid Crisis U.S. Life Expectancy Drops Again For First Time Since 1963
Opioid Crisis a National Emergency Says Presidential Commission
(Photo Credit: VladimirSorokin / iStock)
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