Orrice of tHe GoveRNon Hanmisnuns May 16,2017 Jed Kushner Senior Advisor othe President Director of the Ofie of American Innovation The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. Washington, D.C. 20500, Dear Mr. Kushner: According to various repos, you have been tapped to speatead the administration's efforts to ‘combat the eroin and opioid epidemic ravaging our country, particularly my sate of Pennsylvania which Jas lost thousands of our residens tothe tragedy of addiction, 1 have spent the lst two years traveling across Pennsylvania having dozens of discussions with ‘hose onthe fon lines ofthis crisis people in recovery paren in mourning, law enforcement, and health prof om them ie clear we mood fo combat stigma and get more people into My approach hasbeen to attack this epidemic fom ll angles: more treatment, more resourees for law enforcement, more resourees and education for health profesional, more restitions on preseribing ‘opioid, and many olher steps to ry to save lives, “Many ofthese effort have been supported by federal programs and funding. While we have stared to make progress there isso much more to do That is why I write to you with deep and serious concems about how the White House has approached recent policy debates that impact how we work towards curbing the death and destruction being ‘caused by heroin and opioids. First and foremost, the administration's enhusiastic embrace of heath are repeal and replace that includes deep euts to Medics, the end of Medicaid expansion, and puting esseatil health benefis, including substance use and mental health teatment, tisk, wll ll et the fight against opioid addiction serous risk, We shouldbe investing more in treatment ~ no less. In Pennsylvania, more than 125,000 residents have accessed treatment services underjust Medicaid expansion and hundreds of thourands more do trough raditional Medicsd, You must undrstand—these are people wit otberwise could nat afford treatment and therefore willbe lef with nowhere totum Fight thelr addiction ~a modial disease.Senior Advisor Jared Kushner May 16,2017 Page Two ‘The deal cut with the Freedom Caucus t allow states to opt out of essential health benefits and ‘pre-existing condition protections woul farther the stigma and challenge for those sufering from substance ‘use disorder. Substance ahuse would now be a pre-existing conltion and health insurance may nat be required to cover treatment. What message does that send to those suffering? implore you to reverse course and lead the President owards a more sensible strategy. would invite you to visit Pennsylvania anytime to Team more about both how this epidemic is afleting people and how wee trying to help, Sincerely, Governor