When Trump's sprawling tax-and-spending bill passed on Thursday, it heralded more than $1 trillion in federal cuts to Medicaid, which experts worry will push Republican-led states to abandon parts of the program and leave people without access to timely healthcare.
Aleman, a homeless outreach counsellor at St. Michael's Hospital, actively supports unhoused individuals by guiding them through a health-care system often complex for those without stable housing.
Dr. Hillary Kunins, the city's director of behavioral health, argued that the stigma and barriers caused by the overregulation of methadone prevent individuals from accessing and remaining in treatment. She compared this situation to requiring a person with heart disease to visit a specialized clinic daily for medication, emphasizing the absurdity of such rigid regulations for individuals seeking care for substance use disorders.
