Statement from Kara Travis, President/CEO of Mountain Valley Hospice:
Mountain Valley Hospice stands against Governor Cuomo’s proposed Opioid Excise Tax. If you live in New York State, please speak out and speak up asking that Hospice and Palliative Care patients be carved out of the proposed legislation. Delicate Hospice operating margins will not absorb this added expense, nor will we pass it on to our patients. Exempting Morphine and Methadone only accounts for 47% of the pain meds Hospice patients typically use – incurring another $1M in proposed taxes across the state for the rest of the pain meds our patients often require to be comfortable and well managed. This proposed excise tax will very likely reduce our ability to access Opioids in NYS for Hospice patients – manufacturers are already threatening to stop shipment if the legislation is passed. NYS is 47th in the country for Hospice utilization. We are not proud of that statistic. Our communities need us – let’s not make it any more difficult than it already is to access quality, end-of-life care. Exempt Hospice from the Opioid Excise Tax!