Attorneys General Tell Trump Health Law Replacement Must Fund Drug Treatment

The attorneys general of 19 states have told President Trump and Republican leaders of Congress that any replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) must adequately fund drug treatment, the Associated Press reports.

In a letter, the attorneys general said the initial ACA replacement plan, which was pulled from consideration in the House last month, eventually could have cut more than $13 billion annually in treatment funding through a combination of direct cuts and caps on Medicaid.

“In the midst of an ongoing public health crisis, the federal government cannot abandon this commitment to our communities,” the group stated. “Our nation faces a drug epidemic that grows more difficult and dangerous by the hour. These drugs are causing record numbers of overdoses and are destabilizing whole communities.”