Loss of drug treatment shifts costs.Byline: GUEST VIEWPOINT By Hillary Wylie For The Register-Guard What are the consequences of removing all coverage for chemical dependency chemical dependency n. A physical and psychological habituation to a mood- or mind-altering drug, such as alcohol or cocaine. chemical dependency treatment from the Oregon Health Plan The Oregon Health Plan is the Oregon state healthcare program for low income residents of Oregon. Eligibility Basic eligibility requires that the applicant be a resident of Oregon, as a citizen or otherwise. , as well as all coverage for mental health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract ? Probably the most far-reaching consequence is that there may be no treatment for pregnant, addicted women. At least seven residential treatment centers around the state treat pregnant women and their children. These centers will not be able to continue to function without Oregon Health Plan funds. In Eugene, without treatment, 35 to 50 additional drug-affected babies will be born. At approximately $250,000 each, that is a major cost shift to the hospitals. Extrapolate extrapolate - extrapolation that to the entire state. Methamphetamine use is on the rise again, and this toxic chemical Any chemical which, through its chemical action on life processes, can cause death, temporary incapacitation, or permanent harm to humans or animals. This includes all such chemicals, regardless of their origin or of their method of production, and regardless of whether they are produced causes birth defects birth defects, abnormalities in physical or mental structure or function that are present at birth. They range from minor to seriously deforming or life-threatening. A major defect of some type occurs in approximately 3% of all births. . Most drug-affected children have learning disabilities and damaged immune systems, requiring years of special care. If their parents have not received treatment, then these children will become wards of the state. Most women in treatment with children have a relationship with the state's Child Welfare Department. Children are often removed from the home because of drug abuse, child abuse and abandonment. Without treatment for the parents, the children will remain in foster care, be left with friends and relatives, or eventually end up on the street. Willamette Family in Eugene provides addiction treatment services for low-income and indigent indigent 1) n. a person so poor and needy that he/she cannot provide the necessities of life (food, clothing, decent shelter) for himself/herself. 2) n. one without sufficient income to afford a lawyer for defense in a criminal case. individuals and support for their families. Most of our clients participate in the Oregon Health Plan, which covers outpatient treatment. We also receive state funding to provide residential treatment. Our detoxification Detoxification Definition Detoxification is one of the more widely used treatments and concepts in alternative medicine. It is based on the principle that illnesses can be caused by the accumulation of toxic substances (toxins) in the body. center and sobering station at Buckley, the only one in Lane County, receives 86 percent of its funding from state resources. Buckley is a safe haven 1. Designated area(s) to which noncombatants of the United States Government's responsibility and commercial vehicles and materiel may be evacuated during a domestic or other valid emergency. 2. for chronic addicts and alcoholics, most of them homeless and living on the streets. The only other option for an inebriated inebriated (i·nēˑ·brē·āˈ·t  d),adj intoxicated. individual is the jail or hospital emergency room, another cost shift. A yes vote on Measure 30 will ensure these services are available for the people who need them the most. Willamette Family has served our community for over 40 years, bringing hope and recovery to individuals with the disease of addiction. At Willamette Family, we estimate the cuts resulting from a defeat of Measure 30 will eliminate our outpatient programs for the indigent and approximately 50 percent of our residential treatment programs. Whether we could sustain such cuts and remain open is questionable. If this sounds harsh, it is. The reality of drug abuse in Oregon includes violence, crime, physical abuse and unthinking, uncaring damage to children. There hasn't been much said about the elimination of drug treatment if Measure 30 fails, but all of the services now covered under the Oregon Health Plan will be eliminated for treatment of men, women, youth and pregnant addicted women. There will be few services if any left in the state for low-income clients with alcohol and drug problems. Hillary Wylie is executive director of Willamette Family, an alcohol and drug treatment agency which includes Buckley Center. Wylie also serves on the boards of the Oregon Alcohol and Drug Program Directors Association, the Oregon Treatment Network and the State Alcohol and Drug Counselors Certification Organization. |
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