Opioids Are Destroying Our Nation's Health

The opioid epidemic is increasingly affecting more and more of our nation’s youth, from babies to teenagers.

Services funded by Medicaid have played a crucial role in fighting the epidemic’s ultimate impact for one third of opioid-addicted individuals, which include pregnant women, adolescents, parents, and babies afflicted with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).

These services combat the epidemic in diverse ways that impact youth of all ages: From providing critical care to newborns exposed in utero to helping addicted teenagers gain sobriety, the program provides key resources to those who would otherwise go without treatment. Areas with Medicaid expansion were also found to experience a reduction in crime rates and an increase in the number of people receiving treatment for substance abuse.