To Save Money, California Proposes Eliminating Funding for Methadone Treatment
In a bid to trim $53 million from MediCal, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed, among other measures, to eliminate MediCal funding for methadone treatment.
An estimated 70% to 80% of California methadone clients use MediCal to fund their treatment. The cancellation of MediCal methadone funding would cause 35 000 Californians to lose their coverage for this form of addiction treatment.
Not surprisingly, those with a familiarity about addiction and addiction treatment have protested the cancelation of funding. Former US drug czar Barry McCaffrey voiced opposition to the plan, saying, "Dumping tens of thousands of opiate addicts back on the street would be an immediate disaster to law enforcement, and to the families of people who have become stable, functioning adults.”
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