(The Center Square) – Democrats representing Arizona in Washington, D.C. are pointing to a new report as showing that Medicaid cuts will undermine the state’s fight against the fentanyl crisis.
The report from the Joint Economic Committee Minority says more than 31,000 Arizonans receive the so-called gold standard treatment for opioid use disorder through Medicaid, aka Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. Over 22,000 of those people are covered solely because of Arizona’s expansion of Medicaid.
In a joint press release, U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego as well as U.S. Reps. Greg Stanton and Yassamin Ansari, all Democrats, say the state law includes a trigger to end Arizona’s Medicaid expansion if federal funding falls below 80%, a change the legislators warn could happen under a proposal from President Donald Trump and Republicans.
The White House has said repeatedly that the Trump administration will not cut Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid benefits. But if that happens with Medicaid, the Arizona Democrats claim there would be immediate loss of coverage for thousands of people in the state battling addiction. Democrats have applauded Medicaid for addiction treatments that have led to a decline in overdose-related fatalities.
Kelly said in a statement that he will fight these and other “reckless cuts” to protect people in the Grand Canyon State.
“As a border state, Arizona is on the frontlines of the fentanyl crisis, and thousands rely on Medicaid for life-saving addiction treatment,” said Kelly, a member of the Joint Economic Committee in a press release. “Trump and Republicans want to pull the rug out from under them just as we’re making progress.”
Authors of the report from Joint Economic Committee Minority wrote that medications such as methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone “provide patients with relief from withdrawal symptoms” and allow a user to live his or her life without illicit opioids. Moreover, researchers said that “medications can be used for months, years, or a full lifetime,” something Democrats believe helps ensure that individuals do not return to using.
“The American Medical Association and others recognize these medications as the first- order treatment for patients with opioid use disorder,” page 2 of the report states. “Physician groups across the country are advocating for increased access to this treatment.”
Referring to proposed cuts, Gallego said Arizonans deserve better.
“Combating the fentanyl crisis demands a multi-pronged approach, and that includes ensuring access to affordable addiction treatment for the Arizonans who need it,” said Gallego.
Ansari said the federal government should be committed to protecting and expanding Medicaid so that anyone battling addiction can get what they need.
Stanton added that Medicaid is often the only lifeline for vulnerable Arizonans seeking things such as treatment and recovery services.
