Mary Auker-Endres, Democratic Party candidate for PA State Representative, 98th District, is one of the first 65 PA candidates to date to endorse the Opioid Crisis Action Network’s policy platform which would mandate medical best practices treatment be provided to those suffering from substance use disorder and that this level of care be covered by private health insurance policies, Medicaid and Medicare.
OCAN is pleased to report that Mary Auker-Endres supports our five-plank policy platform mandating (1) coverage of a long-term continuum of care of no less than ninety days (2) coverage of medication-assisted treatment (3) that no patient suffering from effects of substance use disorder reporting to a treatment facility be refused treatment, whether or not he or she is intoxicated (4) the regulation of sober living homes and (5) that all prisons provide drug treatment programs adhering to medical best practices.
Auker-Endres and 64 other PA leaders (so far) recognize that providing and covering the cost of anything less than medical best practices is a gross violation of a 2008 federal law, the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which mandated an end to discriminatory practices against the mentally ill and addicted. OCAN admires these leaders for standing up to powerful special interests, most notably private insurance companies and their political action committees (PACS), that seem to have a stranglehold on legislatures nationwide, preventing these common sense reforms.
The Opioid Crisis Action Network (OCAN) was founded in January, 2018, by Heather and Larry Arata after the overdose death of their 23-year-old son, Brendan, to research and promote solutions to this public health emergency. Over 72,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2017, up 7% from 2016 and double the total from a decade ago. OCAN will also write grants for those suffering from substance use disorder who cannot afford treatment. Checks will be written to state certified treatment centers. For more details, to see the other 91 candidates nationwide who have endorsed OCAN’s platform so far or to make a donation, go to opioidcrisisactionnetwork.com.
[Source: Press release]
7 comments:
NO ONE pays for Chemo for babies. These drug addicts make thier own choices. Meanwhile, innocent children and adults are dying because they don't have insurance or can't afford to pay for treatment. What the hell is worng with this picture?????
Come on!!! Don't you know that personal responsibility is a thing of the past!! I understand what you are saying. They need treatment but does it have to be 100% FREE! Probably not.
What about helping our fellow Human beings? I agree that their are few programs to help folks with cancer and we need them. We also need help for drug addicts. If we don't help curb the drug epidemic and help addicts, then we will all be casualties in the end, even if you don't do drugs. What we really need is an affordable insurance program, one that covers cancer treatment and drug rehabilitation. Please don't think you are better than a drug addict just because you think you could never become addicted to drugs. Do your homework please.
It all starts at home (parents) . parents are responcible for there kids or when did this change?
So u r saying it's my faught my 21 year old is a drug addict and he became one at the age of 19 and we (his parents) never did drugs
Come on people , politictions tell us what the think we want to hear (both sides) then after we elect them it is all about them!
No at 18 he is on his own, but if you take the responcibilty so be it.
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