Addiction Experts Grow Restive as⁢ They‍ Wait for kennedy to Take Action

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The fight ⁢against⁢ the overdose epidemic, a crisis that has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, is facing a new potential threat: proposed cuts to Medicaid. Addiction experts are growing increasingly concerned ⁢that⁤ these cuts, if enacted, could unravel the⁤ recent progress made⁤ in reducing drug deaths and leave vulnerable populations without essential treatment.

The projection comes amid a period of relative good ⁤news for the overdose⁤ epidemic: Drug deaths have steadily declined for the last year and a half, appearing ‍to recede to pre-Covid-19 levels. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that ⁣about 78,000 americans died ⁢in the ‍12-month period ending in February. While this represents a decline from the running 12-month death toll⁤ in late 2023, which exceeded 110,000, the⁤ number remains alarmingly ‍high.

Medicaid⁣ is⁣ the nation’s largest funder of addiction treatment, and experts argue that⁢ deep cuts ⁢to the programme risk backtracking on ⁤the⁢ recent progress. A study by⁣ Linas and his coauthors highlighted the potential impact, estimating that the Trump tax law’s impact could lead to⁢ a meaningful increase in overdose ‍deaths.

“Those are the peopel who we can⁣ point to, the ⁤knowable ⁢population that are going⁣ to be more at risk for overdose,” said Regina LaBelle,‍ a former ‍high-ranking Obama management drug policy official and professor of ‍addiction policy at‍ Georgetown University. “What happens with the vast‍ majority of people with a substance use disorder who don’t get any type‍ of treatment and ⁤are likely to lose coverage? The 1,000 is a⁣ conservative estimate based on who’s⁤ getting the medications.”

LaBelle called⁤ the estimate “the tip of the iceberg,” suggesting it focuses only on ⁣those ‍whose deaths ‍can be ⁢most directly tied to a loss of⁤ insurance coverage ⁢and ensuing loss of medication access.

The findings are consistent with the ⁤addiction medicine community’s consensus that‍ people taking methadone or‍ buprenorphine are vastly less likely to experience a fatal overdose. Despite their effectiveness, though, these life-saving medications remain highly stigmatized and underused, with only about one-fifth of Americans with opioid use disorder receiving them.

The concern among addiction experts is palpable. They are waiting for a clear commitment and action from⁣ political leaders to ‍protect and expand access to ⁣evidence-based treatment,⁢ ensuring that the hard-won progress against the ⁣overdose ‍crisis ⁣is not reversed.**

STAT’s coverage of‍ chronic health issues is supported⁣ by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. Our financial supporters are not involved in any decisions about our⁣ journalism.*