The Trump administration's planned expansion of short-term insurance plans could leave pregnant women and recovering substance abusers out to dry.
According to a recent analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 43% of limited duration plans do not cover mental health services, 62% don't cover substance abuse treatment, and 71% do not cover outpatient prescription drugs.
Additionally, none of the plans reviewed by KFF cover maternity care.
Short-term plans have historically been used during a lapse in coverage following a change in employment and limited to just a few months. But the White House wants to expand coverage for up to a year, a proposal widely condemned by hospitals and insurers.
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A repeal of the individual mandate is expected to make such plans more popular starting next year. That could complicate efforts by federal officials and lawmakers to take control of the opioid crisis that has killed tens of thousands of Americans per year.
The repeal would likely shift younger, poorer individuals from the exchanges into the short-term plans, leading to less comprehensive health coverage, including opioid addiction services. Regulations recently finalized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) target opioid overprescribing as opposed to substance abuse treatment.
Although CMS Administrator Seema Verma said the expansion would pull just 100,000 to 200,000 people off the exchanges, the American Hospital Association estimates that number could be as high as 2 million.
While the White House's expansion of short-term plans could mean fewer services for those struggling with substance abuse, the private sector has taken steps to reduce overprescriptions and increase treatment options.
Earlier this month, the American Society of Addiction Medicine and the American Medical Association announced they were looking for participants for a value-based payment model for opioid addiction treatments.