Protect Medicaid Coverage

Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income Americans, provides coverage to more than 70 million Americans, including nearly 14 million people with a mental health condition and/or substance use disorder (SUD).¹

In addition to its importance in providing access to health care for all who rely on it and supporting health care providers, it is also critical for addressing the addiction crisis.

Medicaid is the single largest payer of mental health and substance use disorder care in the U.S.² Nearly 40% of nonelderly adult Medicaid enrollees have a mental health condition or SUD.³ Critically, adults with opioid use disorder are almost twice as likely to receive treatment if they have Medicaid, compared to being uninsured or on private insurance.⁴

We know that without insurance coverage, addiction treatment is often prohibitively expensive. Over 40% of adults who needed but did not receive SUD treatment in 2023 cited cost as a reason for foregoing care.⁵

That’s why any funding cuts or changes to the Medicaid program would be particularly detrimental to individuals with SUD and would exacerbate our nation’s overdose and addiction crises.

Congress is currently working on a bill that would require the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the committee that focuses on health care programs, to cut $880 billion in spending. To achieve that level of savings, significant cuts to Medicaid would be required.

There are several different changes under consideration, but any changes to Medicaid’s financing structure, cuts to eligibility or benefits, instituting work requirements, or creating other barriers would lead to coverage losses, reduced access to mental health and addiction treatment and poorer health outcomes, including more overdose deaths.

Send the letter below to you members of Congress to urge them to oppose changes to Medicaid and protect access to SUD care to preserve a vital lifeline for Americans and critical tool to address the overdose crisis.

Additionally, the House is in recess this week, meaning that members are home in their districts through Monday, February 24. This is a prime opportunity for further advocacy before an anticipated vote on cuts next week. You can call, email, and meet with your members to demonstrate the impact that cutting Medicaid would have on their constituents (you!). Share your story about how Medicaid has helped you or someone you know access needed addiction care. (See our Advocacy Toolkit for tips on how to advocate!)