ACA replacement contradicts itself
How will Maryland replace the lost federal funding for addictions treatment in our current state of emergency?
The newly proposed American Health Care Act, presented this week by House Speaker Paul Ryan, concerns me as a mental health professional on many levels.
First, the plan to “defund” Planned Parenthood is an affront to women. Planned Parenthood does not receive a block fund grant from the federal government to do with as it pleases – as many would have us believe.
Rather, it submits bills for reimbursement to Medicaid, Medicare and other health insurance companies for services provided to women. Planned Parenthood does not submit bills for abortions.
If you follow the logic of not reimbursing Planned Parenthood, then the government programs should not be reimbursing any doctor or facility that provides abortions.
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Of course, all of this contradicts another important goal of the plan, which is to allow our citizens to receive health care from the providers they choose.
Apparently that only applies to male health care; women need to be told from whom they can get critical cancer screenings, STD treatment, family planning counseling, birth control and more, whereas men can get a prescription for little blue pills from any healthcare provider they choose.
Other major concerns include mental health and addictions services that would no longer be included in Medicaid programs. Instead, people may receive a grant of several thousand dollars to choose what sort of health care they want.
Such grants would provide, at best, a few days of addiction treatment.
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Our governor has just declared a state of emergency regarding opioid addiction. I wonder how the state plans to pay for addiction treatment if the federal government is no longer willing to contribute.
Our 1st District congressman, Rep. Andy Harris, has come out in support of the major tenets of the proposed American Health Care Act.
Make no mistake, this is a clear indication of his disrespect of and lack of concern for the health of women and for those families suffering the devastating effects of addiction and mental illness.
If you share my concerns, please consider contacting your senators and congressional representatives to ask that they withhold support for this proposed – and deficient – alternative to the Affordable Care Act.
Kathryn Adkins is a licensed clinical professional counselor in Salisbury.