“Although I agree there are definitely places that funding should be cut, to reduce access to addiction services in the midst of an epidemic would be similar to reducing funding for the military during a conflict.”

Such an illustration comes from Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco on proposed cuts to the fight against the opioid epidemic under the Republican’s proposed healthcare plan.

He said that the police are hardly keeping up with the issue as is. “To close the doors to these programs now does not seem to be very well thought out,” he said.

In fact, a report issued by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., this week states that the GOP bill would “make it harder to get much needed treatment by effectively ending the expansion of Medicaid, cutting Medicaid by $834 billion over 10 years, cutting the premium tax credits that help make coverage affordable, and allowing states to waive treatment coverage requirements and pre-existing condition protections for those with substance use disorders.”

For her part, Angie Eckstrom, Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services executive director, said before the Medicaid expansion, Substance Abuse Services’ limited resources were expended on uncompensated care.With the Medicaid expansion, more prevention, recovery support and case coordination services have been able to be offered, she said.

“Since we are in the middle of a crisis, it does not make sense to take any resources away from folks struggling with addictions,” Eckstrom said. “We should be looking at ways to expand services, not focusing on what we are going to do if more funding to help folks in need is taken away.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Pennsylvania had the sixth highest age-adjusted overdose death rate in the United States, with 26.3 deaths per 100,000 people in 2015.

“Thanks to coverage gains under current law, substance use disorder services are now being provided to an additional 175,000 Pennsylvanians,” according to the report. “Pennsylvania also saw a nearly 17 percent drop in adult uninsured hospitalizations for substance use and mental health disorders between the final quarters of 2013 and 2014.”

In 2015, more than 52,000 people died in the U.S. from a drug overdose, exceeding the number of people who died in car crashes. More than 33,000 of these deaths were from opioids, more than any year on record.

“The crisis shows no sign of abating. Preliminary estimates suggest drug overdoses climbed another 19 percent in 2016,” the report states.

In Pennsylvania, more than 3,200 people died of a drug overdose in 2015, a 20-percent increase over 2014. More than 1,300 of these deaths were from opioids, according to the report.

“A key tool in combatting the opioid epidemic is getting into treatment. Health care coverage is vital to accessing treatment,” the report states. “Today, 20 million more Americans have health insurance, including more than 1.1 million Pennsylvanians who have gained health care coverage through premium tax credits and Medicaid expansion.”

Steve Kelly, spokesman for U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said that any Senate health care bill would maintain the Medicaid expansion.

“Federal funding for opioid and heroin addiction treatment also comes from a variety of sources including the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and the 21st Century Cures Act, which Senator Toomey supported,” he said. “Meanwhile, Senator Toomey is continuing his work to protect families and communities from painkiller and heroin abuse, and to ensure there is appropriate funding to help Pennsylvania fight back against this terrible scourge.”

Andy Carter, president and CEO of The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, said the organization is disappointed that the legislation doesn’t provide more support in addressing the growing opioid crisis.

“Slashing Medicaid and rolling back consumer protections for pre-existing conditions would hinder people from seeking substance use treatment and may mean people losing access in the midst of their treatment,” Gov. Tom Wolf said in a prepared statement. “I have traveled Pennsylvania and spoken with people in recovery, parents, law enforcement and community advocates and they need more resources, not less. There is no doubt deep cuts to Medicaid and rolling back Medicaid expansion would mean less people in treatment, more overdoses and more pain for families and communities across Pennsylvania.”