*A similar release will be sent targeting Rob Portman in Ohio
Here’s the record Kelly Ayotte hoped to hide with her participation in today’s Senate hearing on the heroin and prescription drug epidemic: She supported the Ryan budget that threatened major cuts to substance abuse programs, voted to repeal mandated coverage of substance abuse treatment and to end Medicaid Expansion in New Hampshire, which has helped 1,700 New Hampshire patients access substance abuse treatment.
“Kelly Ayotte’s hypocrisy on drug abuse treatment and prevention programs is just the latest example of Ayotte scrambling to hide her reckless record of voting against New Hampshire’s best interests,” said Lauren Passalacqua, DSCC National Press Secretary. “New Hampshire needs leadership on the drug crisis everyday, and not just in election years. It is shameful that Ayotte would try to distort her record on such a critical issue, and New Hampshire deserves better.”
BACKGROUND:
AYOTTE SUPPORTED BUDGET THAT THREATENED MAJOR CUTS TO SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROGRAMS
Ayotte Voted For FY 2014 Ryan Budget Plan That Threatened Major Cuts To Substance Abuse Programs. [CQ, 3/21/13; S.Amdt. 433 to S.Con.Res. 8, Vote 46, 3/21/13]
- Ryan Budget Threatened Large Cuts To Mental Health And Substance Abuse Services. “Major health and environment programs threatened with large cuts under the Ryan budget include: […] Mental health and substance abuse services. These grants help states prevent and treat alcohol and drug abuse and provide community mental health services to adults and children with serious mental illness. In 2008, over two million individuals attended substance abuse facilities that received federal funding; over six million received federally supported mental health services.” [Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 3/27/13]
AYOTTE SUPPORTED REPEALING MANDATED COVERAGE OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT
Ayotte Supported Repeal Of The Affordable Care Act, Which Would Jeopardize Substance Abuse And Coverage:
- Affordable Care Act Required Insurers To Cover Mental Health And Substance Abuse Treatment At The Same Level As Regular Medical Care. “Coverage thus expanded, the ACA then specifically addresses addiction by regulating what health benefits insurance plans must cover. Or, as Heller puts it, ‘Now you have health coverage, which is step one. Step two is, will that health insurance pay for treatment?’ And the ACA represents a massive step forward in getting insurance plans to cover addiction treatment. First, starting this year, the legislation bars insurers from denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions—including substance abuse. But perhaps the most important changes come from the ACA’s expansion of parity rules. In brief, ‘parity’ means that insurance plans must cover mental health and substance abuse treatment at the same level as regular medical care.” [Huffington Post, 3/4/14]
- Affordable Care Act Made Substance Abuse Treatment An Essential Health Benefit, Requiring Insurers To Cover The Full Spectrum Of Disorder. “Under the ACA, substance abuse treatment will also become part of primary care, and will be focused more on prevention. Substance abuse treatment will also be considered an ‘essential service,’ meaning health plans are required to provide it. They must treat the full spectrum of the disorder, including people who are in the early stages of substance abuse. ‘There will be more prevention, early intervention and treatment options,’ he said. ‘The result will be better, and less expensive, outcomes.’” [Partnership For Drug-Free Kids, 2/26/13]
- Partnership For Drug-Free Kids: “Affordable Care Act To Provide Substance Abuse Treatment To Millions Of New Patients.” “Dr. McLellan reported that 23 million American adults suffer from substance abuse or dependence—about the same number of adults who have diabetes. An additional 60 million people engage in ‘medically harmful’ substance use, such as a woman whose two daily glasses of wine fuels growth of her breast cancer. The new law will allow millions more people to receive treatment, including those whose substance abuse is just emerging.” [Partnership For Drug-Free Kids, 2/26/13]
Ayotte Has Voted To Repeal Medicaid Expansion At Least Five Times. [Vote 329, 12/3/15; Vote 253, 7/26/15; Vote 51, 3/22/13; Vote 34, 3/13/13; Vote 9, 2/2/11]
About 1,700 Granite Staters Accessed Substance Abuse Treatment Through Medicaid Expansion In 2015. “Regarding that opioid epidemic: About 1,700 Granite Staters gained access to substance-abuse treatment through the expansion in 2015. In a state where more than 400 deaths were registered in 2015 stemming from opioid overdoses, that’s worth something, too.” [Editorial, Keene Sentinel, 1/14/16]
