Oregon Wants to Abandon Patients

If the Oregon Health Authority gets its way, patients with chronic pain will be abandoned.  It has proposed to force these patients to taper off opioids within a year, no exceptions.  They’ll be replaced with alternatives that include aqua therapy or – get this – pain acceptance! As a chronic pain sufferer, I say this is inhumane.  It’s not a coincidence Oregon legalized assisted suicide and is experiencing a $1 billion budget shortfall.  The drugs to kill yourself cost far less than maintaining a chronic illness.  It’s a Medicaid proposal, but every insurance company will likely buy in.  So may other states.  If passed it’ll force desperate patients to seek drugs from the unsafe black market or opt for assisted suicide.