Stop the Opiate Tax aka The Lifeboat Act
Public Comments (806)
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Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Georgetown, IN writes:
Since 2012, there has been a relentless, all out attack by legislators, the media, and anti-opioid groups to restrict or completely stop the treatment of chronic pain patients who need opioid medication in order to have any semblance of quality of life. Despite the nearly complete obliteration of pill mills and thousands of legitimate pain patients sent out into world without any means of alleviating their pain, those effected by the disease of addiction are still dying of overdoses. The problem is chronic pain patients are NOT the issue, so continually cutting back the treatment for the wrong group of individuals will never stop the issue from occurring in a completely different group of people. The problem has, in fact, become much worse as a result of the actions taken. Addicted individuals have turned to heroin, a much cheaper and more powerful drug than the prescription drugs these people were previously stealing, ordering online, or buying from dealers courtesy of repurposed "evidence" DEA agents released back into the public. Then things got even worse. Street manufactured Fentanyl was sold as heroin and then as counterfeit pain medication, killing hundreds of addicts. Stop this insane cycle before even more people die. Chronic pain patients are killing themselves due to unrelenting misery, no relief in sight, and those suffering from addiction need treatment, not jail, to stop turning to risky substitutes for the pain medication they became addicted to. -
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Adamsville, TN writes:
My thoughts on the matter is this. We the people of senior citizens, chronic pain and disabled people take a stand against something that is not and never has been or fault. We have a limited supply of income, taxing us would cause a major blow to our budget. Likewise we did not hold a gun to their heads and make them swallow. They did it of their own free choice. We take ours as prescribed and mostly been decreased so we still suffer pain, but we endure. This is the most stupidest way to try and fix something broken for ages. Are they going to say oh wow thanks now I can get the help I need,no they will laugh in yours cause guess what they are prprobably buying over the internet. So my suggestion is to take this bill and shove it. The abusers will not come to you. It is not a build it and they will come. Quit trying to line your own pockets and leave ours alone, we need the rest of ours for clothing, food, gas and OTC stuff to get by if we can tolerate it till we go back to get our scripts. Your precious Pain Management clinics is a pile of dung. Never been treated so horrible in all my life, like I was worse than an animal. So redo your thinking and see how you can solve the real problem without hurting the innocent. We have been hard working people who faithfully paid in our tax dollars to you. My suggestion would be put people back to work here that way you can still have cake and ice cream and eat it to. Now my final thoughts sit down and shut the hell up. Enough is Enough we won't take no more******off of y'all. Figure out another way.REPORT COMMENTS
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Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Los Angeles, CA signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Buffalo, NY signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Palm Desert, CA writes:
On top of having our pain med's taken away because of the abuse of drug addict, we now have to pay for those drug addicts? Please start asking some real questions like are any drug addicts no longer abusing drugs with these policies because we know that Prohibition does not work? The country is so concerned over the raise in heroin addiction and you will find, if you really look, that the raise is directly connected to these policies because if a drug addict can't get the pills they want, they will and are turning to heroin and now our government is supporting the Drug Cartels who will get a drug addict anything they want just as the "Mob's" did for alcohol. Did we learn nothing from history? Why is the life of a drug addict more important than the lives of those who are in pain? Why are politicians acting as doctors in the decisions of what is the best way to treat us? Mothers can no longer care for their children and bread winners no longer able to support their families. Who is going to pay for that care and where will that money come from? Who is going to care for those like myself who strive to stay independent and live within the boundaries of our disabilities but can no longer do so without the pain relief we need? Health Care in this country is going to fail under these policies and it must when doctors refuse to take on patients who are in pain, clinic are closing and good doctors can no longer treat their patients in the way they know is best without fear of prosecution? Who are they going to blame for this? Obama Care? Someone must be blamed for the failure of our health care system to deal with those who are in pain. Chronic Pain is a disability and we are being discriminated against because of those who will and do abuse drugs just like any religion or race who is discriminated against because of the actions of a few. We need someone to stand for us, talk about us, do something for us in this losing war on drugs. We are told that 13% of Veteran's abuse drugs but what about the 87% who need relief from pain and now can't get that relief? Chronic Pain can and does kill and those who can no longer deal with a life in pain 24/7 will take their own lives and Veterans are the most vulnerable after the horrors of war. America makes these Veterans and makes the pain they now live with and yet we are turning our backs on them and telling them there is nothing we can do for the pain they are in. Why aren't pain patients given the same rights as others to decide what is the best care for their problems? Politics needs to stay out of our relationship between our doctors and the care we need. Please do your jobs, do it right, look into the problems these policies are making that no one will talk about because of the fear of supporting drug addicts but we are NOT drug addicts, we are patients who need help. Please look into the politics of all of this as we know the reasons behind this attack on pain medicationREPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Hopkins, MN writes:
Having Chronic Pain due to Arthritis and Fibromyalgia was not my choice. I fight every day to be pain free for a few hours. Don't tax me because I have a disease I had no control over getting. Are you willing to tax cancer patients as well? They didn't have any choice either. Stop the stigma and offer us relief from chronic pain.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Cape Coral, FL signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Belmont, MA signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Daytona Beach, FL writes:
Why tax the poor, most of us are on disability, for the actions of junkies? Even they get treated better than us! You take them and put them in rehabs to get them clean, with chronic pain patients you stop our medicines cold turkey! You are slowly killing us taking away our much needed medication. This needs to stop!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Burbank, CA signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Havre De Grace, MD signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Miami, FL writes:
Dear Senators, I plead with you to please reconsider this punitive measure, that makes innocent pain patients financially responsible for issues that we did not cause nor condone, nor enable or support in any way. Much has been said about the plight of addicts, and their families, but it's time now to focus on our plight as well. Who consoles my family? My family is at the breaking point, because I am now broken. I am broken with pain. My only relief are these medications. These medications helped me to keep living, to keep fighting. But who consoles MY family? who is worried about the damage of under treated pain to me and my family? who speaks for me? for us? I do understand how you feel that this might help fund addiction costs, but it does so on the backs of people like me. Who did nothing wrong, and is somehow being blamed, shamed, bear stigma, and discrimination, and now Financial responsibility. This is wrong. I have been out of work for 5 YEARS. 5 YEARS. I got injured several times at work and NEVER RECOVERED. The only thing that has helped me through my tragedy has been these medicines. And NOW you want me to PAY for things I am not responsible. I have NO INCOME, and have DONE NOTHING WRONG. I urge you to rescind this Bill and find another way to help addiction issues, one that will not place the burden on innocent pain patients, and further brutalizes them, stigmatizes them, and shames and blames them. Please stop victimizing us. We are already in a miserable circumstance as it is since this anti opioid hysteria took hold. Thank you.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Redmond, OR signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Chicago, IL writes:
This is absolutely atrocious. I, as a responsible pain patient who has never abused any kind of medication, should not be literally paying for the mistakes of an entirely different group of people. If this was going towards research and development of treatments for the various causes of chronic pain that would be somewhat understandable. But chronic pain sufferers and addicts are NOT THE SAME PEOPLE. Stop punishing patients for the actions of addicts.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Petersburg, VA writes:
Are you people crazy? Punish the chronic pain patients by taxing pain medication to pay for treatment centers for addicts? What a load of crap! Shows EXACTLY how out of touch with reality you are. Shame on you, ALL of you in Washington, discriminating against the chronic pain patient.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Nashville, NC writes:
Opiates are not a luxury item such as beer and cigarettes. They are a necessary medication for alot of people, most who are already on a fixed income due to illness or injury.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Fayetteville, NC signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Houston, TX signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Buffalo, NY signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Cairo, NY writes:
More insanity from Washington! These medicines are already ridiculously price-inflated, an artificial value that drives the street market, and now they want to raise the price even more!?! This only feeds into the interests of drug cartels (like the CIA)! Most people needing these medicines are disabled and/or already bankrupt. These idiot politicians are adding fuel to the fire.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Terre Haute, IN writes:
Tax the drug addicts don't punish people who are legitimately in pain.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Harrison, AR writes:
This is, by far, the most repugnant piece of legislation I've read. Imposing a "sin tax" (yes, that's what it is) on any medication that some require to function and have some small quality of life is beyond despicable. Angus King must be using common core math to figure that it will cost anywhere from .75 to $3 per month. Um, no, you moron. If Joe Blow takes 2 tramadols 4 times a day, this means he gets 240 tramadols per month. Each tramadol is 50mg. 240 pills multiplied by 50 (mgs) = 12,000, then divide by .01 = $120 extra per month. So that is a $120 tax imposed on a bottle of medication that costs anywhere from $50 to $90. Outrageous!! You say insurance will pay this sin tax? Many can't even get their insurance to pay for their actual prescription opioids, let along an added sin tax! Why is the chronic pain community forced to pay for the actions of others??!! Why is the chronic pain community being punished by extra restrictions that many states are passing?!! These restrictions, proposed sin taxes, guidelines, etc. only affect the chronic pain community, many of whom are physically disabled and live on very low, fixed incomes. This is disgusting and the pieces of trash who proposes, sponsors, co-sponsors, or supports this piece of trash legislation should be forced to resign from their thrones of power. This is blatant discrimination. Even worse, it's blatant discrimination that is being proposed and supported by some of the idiots we somehow elected awhile back and collecting our tax dollars as their salary. Friends, this crap has to stop! One does not have to be a chronic pain patient to help advocate for them! We're already losing too many within our chronic pain community to suicide due to the authoritarian powers of the DEA and state medical boards, restrictions and guidelines that have created such panic with all of our doctors. These suicide victims no longer had access to the medication they had taken for many years, even decades, with no problem and could no longer stand the pain. I have never been so ashamed of our government, our elected kings and queens, the bureaucrats who suck us dry from all the tax dollars that are allocated to the alphabet groups (CDC, FDA, DEA).REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Buffalo, NY signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Lockport, NY signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Buffalo, NY writes:
Are you crazy!? You want people suffering in pain every day, people who rely on their medication just so they can have some type of life, people who hardly ever abuse their medication, to pay for a drug addicts rehabilation? This is insulting. How many chronic pain patients die from overdose? How many people die from cancer? How many die from alcohol or kill others by drunk driving? Those people made their choice. We did not choose chronic pain, it chose us. Most of us with chronic pain are on a fixed income and now you want to force us to pay a tax on our medication? Hmm, what's next, taxing blood for accident victims? This has me so upset.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Rochester, IN signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from East Aurora, NY writes:
I'm a Chrinic pain patient. I already pay enough for my medications and am in a fixed budget. This will cause my medication prices to be raised. Those of us who do not abuse our medication and need medication to have quality of life should not have to pay for those who abuse opiates and street drugs. All these laws, bills and guidelines are just ridiculous. The government is forgetting there are millions of Chrinic pain patients. We vote and we are sick and tired of being beat down further. We are human beings who need pain medication, not addicts.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Gate City, VA writes:
I hurt all the time can't take arthritis meds because of blood clot meds spur,3 hertiated ,pinched nerves,my hip and need replacing but can't because I take care of my mom who is dieing.so I think u need to leave things alone .it like they are deleted the stuff in them anyway. If so u need are pain just one day see how u feel then.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Gate City, VA writes:
I hurt all the time can't take arthritis meds because of blood clot meds spur,3 hertiated ,pinched nerves,my hip and need replacing but can't because I take care of my mom who is dieing.so I think u need to leave things alone .it like they are deleted the stuff in them anyway. If so u need are pain just one day see how u feel then.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Elburn, IL signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Howell, NJ writes:
I am fed up with LEGITIMATE chronic intractable pain pts continually being beaten down by our government! I am sick and tired of paying the very high price with my health and overall well being because of those who CHOOSE TO ABUSE! I am a single 51 yr old mother on perm disability from ?multiple debilitating incurable conditions that cause me severe pain! I was on the SAME STABLE DOSE for five years with success and in steps you corrupt penpushers, taking away LIFESAVING PAIN MEDICATION FROM THISE WHO TRULY DEPEND ON THEM FOR A QUALITY OF LIFE! I AM STRUGGLING EVERY DAM DAY OF MY LIFE! THERE HAVE BEEN MANY TIMES ID HAVE TO LEAVE SONE OF MY MEDS BEHIND AT THE PHARMACY BECAUSE I COULDN'T AFFORD IT AND YOU WANT ME TO PAY FOR SOME DRUG ADDICTS TREATMENT!?!? WHAT THE HELL IS IT GOING TO BE NEXT!? THIS IS CLEARLY DISCRIMINATION ! OH AND EXEMPTING SUBOXONE , AN OPIOD, WHY IS THAT!? Because it treats addiction and god forbid an addict should have to take some responsibility !?!? This tax is a crock of******and just one more way to abuse legitimate pain pts! I WONDER IF YOUR PARENTS WERE SUFFERING FROM DEBILITATING CONDITIONS WOULD YOU JUST SIT BACK AND WATCH TGEM BECOME HOMEBOUND, BEDRIDDEN, SUFFERING !?!? YOU PEOPLE ARE KILKING INNOCENT LAW ABIDING CITIZENS WITH YOUR INHUMANE AND BARBARIC RESTRICTIONS!!! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Valparaiso, IN writes:
I am disabled with a rare autoimmune disease that causes intense pain. The medication I take is the only thing that allows me to continue functioning. Charging disabled people more for the drugs they need is unfair.REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from San Antonio, TX signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Gouldsboro, PA writes:
I am permanently disabled and am a long term pain management patient who uses certain opioid medications to help me function. The proposed tax on opioid pain medication will place a financial burden on me that I simply CANNOT afford! You obviously are oblivious to the immensely tight budget constraints of those who are trying to live on Social Security Disability...when you only have $1000 a month to pay rent, utilities and car insurance, buy food, pay copays for doctor's visits and medication, there is NOTHING left over...so any additional cost tacked onto my monthly medications would be enough to guarantee that I CANNOT pay at least one of my monthly bills!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Kalamazoo, MI writes:
This is just such the wrong thing to do! Don't punish the chronic pain sufferers for the acts of abusers!!! Find another way to spend your salary, paid by us too!REPORT COMMENTS
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No, CancelJun 4th, 2016Someone from Delray Beach, FL signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Sheboygan Falls, WI signed.
Jun 4th, 2016Someone from Langhorne, PA writes:
Senators, while you vote yourselves raises and the poor get poorer and the rich get richer, think about the people you will be hurting. Help those in need but do not burden the average working American who lives in chronic pain. Put yourself in our shoes. You continue to make these stupid bills, that hurt people. We are all not drug addicts. Stop voting for bills that waste the tax payers money and put your obligations as our Government to the test and do something that is right for people in this world. You are hurting the people that are in chronic pain with these ideas. You make life more difficult for people who have money. You vote yourselves raises and we live in poverty. Have you ever thought that we are living in daily chronic pain with Doctors that are afraid to give medicines because they will get in trouble? Medicines that our Insurance Companies we pay into don't want to cover because they deem it "not medically necessary"? Have you no heart? Get out of office if you can't care for "We the People" the way you gave your Oath to this office". Wake up!REPORT COMMENTS
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