“Health is a human necessity; health is a human right”— Dr. James Lenhart
Insurance is pivotal in health care and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Obamacare is just the right support for every American in need of medical care. However, the act is indanger of being repealed in the coming days. And, if that happens, lives of millions of Americans will be in shambles, especially those struggling with drug addiction.
There were conjectures that the law would be taken down soon after Amy Coney Barrett was nominated for the Supreme Court. The Democrats largely voiced their concern that her addition to the court would mark the end of the ACA. Members of the GOP, however, leveled the threat as needless.
ACA makes addiction treatment possible
The ACA is beneficial in making health insurance and addiction treatment more accessible to the 20 million Americans grappling with substance use disorder (SUD). So, its obliteration with no adequate replacement would have unsurmountable consequences in the healthcare ecosystem. The lives of people battling drug addiction and needing immediate treatment would be in jeopardy.
Health experts, especially those in the behavioral and substance abuse treatment field, have vehemently denounced a potential rollback of the ACA. They have unequivocally predicted a disastrous outcome if the ACA is brought down. For an already burdened healthcare ecosystem with a burgeoning drug addiction problem in the United States, the end of Obamacare would spell doom for hundreds and thousands of people who depend on it for treatment.
According to Dr. Carrie Fry, an assistant professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University, the ACA has already battled other legal challenges. “There’s no good time to strike down the ACA for people with substance use disorder, this happens to be a particularly bad time.”
Another expert, who is also a well-known figure in the mental health domain, Dr. Benjamin Miller of the Well Being Trust, says that it is akin to “throwing gasoline on top of an already out-of-control fire.”
Rescinding ACA could spell doom especially during the pandemic
For a nation plagued by an opioid epidemic, the end of the ACA could be another ticking bomb that would further exacerbate the situation. Now, the COVID-19 pandemic has also caused an upsurge in opioid-related deaths in the country. As per data revealed by the American Medical Association, more than 40 states have reported surge in opioid-related deaths since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Cases of anxiety and depression have also gone up substantially. A survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unearthed that while 13 percent of adults started or increased their substance use and 31 percent had symptoms of anxiety or depression during the global lockdown.
Not only the addiction and mental health treatment, the repeal of ACA would also upend insurance markets as millions would lose coverage at a time when the whole world is reeling under a pandemic.
There is always light at the end of the tunnel
All is not lost as there are significant chances the ACA would withstand the inclement development that is sweeping the healthcare insurance sector.
The US Supreme Court considered the Affordable Care Act on November 10. Though a ruling is still pending, a favorable one would drastically change access to the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans, including those fighting a long-drawn battle with drug addiction and behavioral health. The conservative US Supreme Court justices have hinted that the act might be upheld.
Seek immediate treatment to overcome drug addiction
While it is good to have the best insurance coverage to receive treatment for any ailment, it is equally important to seek immediate treatment for drug addiction problem. Addiction is a disease that can be overcome. Though the journey is long, it is rewarding.
If you or someone you know is suffering from an opioid use disorder or experiencing symptoms of prescription drug abuse, seek immediate medical help. You can get in touch with the Prescription Drug Abuse Helpline to know about the most reputed prescription drug rehab centers in your vicinity. Call at our 24/7 helpline number (866) 450-1557 or chat online with our expert to know about the symptoms of prescription drug abuse.