Cayla Harris is reporting in the Times Union on mounting concerns that with opioid deaths on the rise nationwide, proposed cuts to Medicaid would prove harmful, or even fatal for many. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a more than 20 percent increase in opioid-related deaths statewide between 2014 and 2015 in New York. U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko said Medicaid funds are crucial to those seeking treatment for substance abuse disorders. The Amsterdam Democrat said the House-approved American Health Care Act, which proposes $880 billion in cuts to the Medicaid program over 10 years, would have "devastating consequences." Medicaid provides addicts the ability to access previously out-of-reach health care services. "Rollbacks on Medicaid expansion would exacerbate a public health crisis into a state of emergency,'' said Stephanie Campbell, the executive director of Friends of Recovery-New York. Representative John Faso supported the American Health Care Act. He said in a statement that Congress has approved billions for opioid treatment through various pieces of legislation. "I'm confident that there will remain sufficient resources through Medicaid which, when combined with these other specific appropriations, will fund treatment options," he said. Read the full story in the Times Union.