WASHINGTON, D.C. – Calling it “the most ill-conceived, damaging, and downright cruel piece of legislation” he has seen in his adult life, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) today denounced the American Health Care Act as a foolishly misnamed bill that would hurt people across Maine and only make it more difficult for people struggling with drug addiction to obtain they treatment they need.

In his remarks, Senator King highlighted how the bill would not only make coverage more expensive and harder to get for people in Maine, but also how it would allow states to waive requirements for insurance companies to provide essential health benefits, such as coverage for substance abuse treatment, or possibly make that treatment unaffordable even if it is required.

“Getting treatment for substance abuse disorder is not easy, but this bill, the American Health Care Act – what a misnamed bill – only makes it worse,” Senator King said.

Senator King also emphasized how treatment works. He shared with the Senate the story of Andrew Kiezulas from Portland who overcame substance abuse disorders, is now the President and Co-Founder of Students in Recovery at the University of Southern Maine, and is preparing to graduate from college this weekend. He talked about Justin Reid, who struggled with addiction but now runs Providence Place, a sober house in Portland. He also talked about Matt Braun from Cape Elizabeth, whose parents fought with their insurance company – which initially refused to cover more than five days of treatment because, they said, he would be a chronically relapsing drug addict – to get his treatment covered. Matt is now preparing to take the Medical College Admission Test, with the goal of supporting those who are struggling in the same way he did.

            “I’ve been working on this issue since I got to the Senate. I’ve been meeting with people throughout Maine – in hospitals, meeting with people in recovery, and families, and parents, and law enforcement. And the one thing that comes through loud and clear is that treatment works and that we need it,” Senator King said. “This is a terrible disease, but the most tragic thing of all is when someone finally reaches the point when they’re ready to ask for help and they’re told, ‘Sorry, there’s a three week wait or there’s a three month wait.’ That’s when lives are lost and families are destroyed.”

Senator King also criticized President Trump’s proposal to effectively eliminate the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), the federal government’s lead office in coordinating the fight against the opioid epidemic raging on in states like Maine. President Trump is reportedly considering slashing 95 percent of the funding to ONDCP in his forthcoming 2018 budget – a $364 million reduction from $388 million to $24 million. The cuts would come at a time when the drug crisis continues to worsen in Maine. Last year, the state lost a record number of people to overdose deaths, averaging one death a day.

            “The Administration has recently indicated that they are talking about essentially dismantling the Office of National Drug Control Policy – the highest level of working on this problem in a coordinated way in the federal government. Here we are in the midst of the most serious drug crisis in the history of this country and the Administration is talking about gutting the very office that’s supposed to lead the fight….It makes no sense,” Senator King said.

            “But talking about this problem is not going to solve it. Treatment is going to solve it. Money for treatment is going to solve it. Beds for treatment is going to solve it. Detox centers is going to solve it. More resources for law enforcement is going to solve it. This is no single answer,” Senator King continued. “But at the core is commitment. By passing this bill in the House – that drastically undermines all of those elements of treatment and prevention and then by talking about dismantling the office that has led this fight in the entire federal government – is beyond comprehension in the midst of where we are.”

Senator King has been a leader in the Senate on combatting the opioid epidemic. He has held several roundtables across the state to discuss various aspects of the crisis, and in the Senate, he strongly supported the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, introduced several pieces of legislation to help increase treatment options, and fought to provide greater amounts of funding.

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