Kaptur votes to maintain guarantee for opioid treatment in all health plans
Opposes bill that exempts some health plans from requirement to provide benefits like substance abuse treatment
Washington D.C. – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) today voted no on the Republican-led Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017. This bill eliminates the requirement that certain kinds of health plans, known as Association Health Plans, have to provide basic services as part of health care coverage. These consumer protections were enacted through the Affordable Care Act and are known as Essential Health Benefits. These benefits include treatment for substance abuse and opioid addiction.
"In addition to slashing Medicaid in TrumpCare, which pays for nearly half of all opioid treatment in Ohio, the Republican-led House now wants to exempt certain health plans from requirements to provide substance abuse treatment and other guaranteed benefits," said Kaptur. "After all the progress we have made, this bill takes us backward. The American people deserve better, and they deserve our help as this epidemic ravages across Ohio and elsewhere."