“The Trump administration opened the doors Thursday for states to set work requirements for people who get Medicaid, a move that is likely to be a catastrophe for some of the most vulnerable Americans, particularly those struggling with opioid addiction.
The new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services guidance, which allows states to seek federal permission to establish restrictions, could threaten the Medicaid coverage of the many adults with disabilities, children and the elderly who cannot work.
And, since the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, its benefits have been a key component in addressing the rise of substance abuse. From 2011 to 2016, Medicaid spending on prescription treatments for opioid use disorder rose from $394.2 million to $929.9 million, according to a report from the Urban Institute, a left-leaning Washington, D.C., think tank.”
Read more at: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/medicaid-changes-opioid_us_5a57e4e5e4b0720dc4c592ee?section=us_politics
Source: HuffingtonPost.com – January 11, 2018
See related article: Legal Action Center Statement On Imposing Work Requirements For Medicaid Eligibility – Misguided Policy Will Disproportionately Harm People with SUD and Criminal Records available at: https://lac.org/legal-action-center-statement-imposing-work-requirements-medicaid-eligibility/
