Shaheen in Union Leader Op-ED: No Retreat in the Fight Against Opioids

UNION LEADER--Another View: No retreat in the fight against opioids [http://www.unionleader.com/Another-View-Jeanne-Shaheen-No-retreat-in-the-fight-against-opioids-01192017%23sthash.O9zH3vCn.dpuf]

By JEANNE SHAHEEN

In dozens of visits to New Hampshire during the campaign, President-elect Donald Trump pledged aggressive action to combat the opioid crisis. Keeping that promise is a matter of life or death for countless Americans. The rush by Republican leaders in Congress to repeal the health-care reform law without a replacement has put millions of Americans at risk.

An estimated 120,000 people in New Hampshire -- nearly one in 10 of our citizens -- would lose coverage. On Tuesday, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said that 18 million people would lose their insurance in the first year after repeal, and 32 million in 10 years. I'm especially concerned that repeal would abruptly end treatment for thousands of Granite Staters fighting addiction.

We all have a stake in preserving the best of the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, which ended discrimination based on preexisting conditions, allows children to stay on their parents' health plan until age 26, ensures preventive services without cost sharing, and eliminates the "doughnut hole" coverage gap in Medicare Part D, saving seniors billions of dollars on prescription drugs.

At a roundtable of health-care providers that I convened in Manchester this week, participants stressed that Obamacare -- Medicaid expansion, in particular -- has been a critical tool in combating the opioid epidemic.

In New Hampshire, more than 48,000 Medicaid claims were submitted for substance use disorder services in 2015. Having traveled across our state in the past year, visiting treatment centers and meeting with individuals struggling with substance use disorders, I am convinced that repealing Obamacare would mean that thousands of Granite Staters would lose access to treatment, with devastating consequences.

In a weekend interview, Mr. Trump said that his goal is "insurance for everybody." The best path to this laudable goal is for Mr. Trump to lead a bipartisan push in Congress to preserve the best elements of health-care reform and fix what's not working. Large-scale reforms are never flawless, and health-care reform has been no exception.

For example, I joined with Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., in a successful bipartisan effort to protect small and mid-size businesses from potential health insurance premium increases -- a bill signed into law by President Obama in 2015. This smart change to the health-care reform law shows that Republicans and Democrats can work together.

So rather than repealing Obamacare with no plan to replace it, let's come together to strengthen the innovations that have proven effective, and mend or end the rest. In addition, I welcome Mr. Trump's pledge to use the government's bargaining power to bring down the cost of prescription drugs, a reform I've advocated for many years.

This is what the great majority of Americans want, including millions of Trump voters who have health coverage thanks to Obamacare. A post-election Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that only 26 percent of voters want to repeal the entire law. Key elements of the law, including requiring insurers to cover preexisting conditions and closing the Medicare doughnut hole, have earned almost universal support. And big, bipartisan majorities support other key provisions.

Eighty percent of voters favor government subsidies to help low- and moderate-income people buy health insurance, and a similar percentage support the law's expansion of Medicaid.

Keith Halloran of Rindge told me that he is alive today because of his Obamacare coverage. A visit to the doctor led to the discovery of cancer, followed by prompt, affordable treatment; more than two years later, he has regular follow-up exams and is cancer free. It would be a tragic mistake to take health coverage away from 18 million Americans, like Mr. Halloran, who are insured because of the health-care reform law.

The consequences would be especially dire for individuals and communities that depend on this law to combat the opioid epidemic.

President-elect Trump must keep his promise, and Congress must listen to the public. Let's come together to improve health-care reform and build on the popular, life-saving innovations that are already working. If our new President is serious about insuring everyone and reducing prescription drug prices, he will find me to be a ready partner.

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat from Madbury, represents New Hampshire in the U.S. Senate.

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