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Senate Poised to Pass Comprehensive Opioid Legislation Next Week

Posted on: 9/13/2018

Now, just 8 weeks away from President Trump’s first mid-term elections, the U.S. Senate is poised to once again pass comprehensive addiction legislation. On Monday, the Senate is expected to pass the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018—a bipartisan package of over 70 proposals recommended by five different committees. According to Senate health committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), “This legislation represents the work of over 70 senators, five committees, and countless staff who have worked together to help put an end to the opioid epidemic ravaging virtually every American community.”

The bill aims to reduce the use and supply of opiate-derived pain-killers, encourage recovery by expanding access to treatment, support caregivers and families, and drive innovation toward long-term solutions of substance use disorders and addictions. Specifically, the bill contains a number of provisions that ACMA believes to be important and worthy of final Congressional approval in the near future, including provisions that would allow patients to sign a waiver consenting to inclusion of substance use disorder information into their EMR, expand telehealth services under Medicare and Medicaid, and authorize a new grant program through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration for entities to establish or operate comprehensive opioid recovery centers which utilize the ECHO model to support care coordination and services delivery.

ACMA recognizes Senate consideration of this package of bills as a major step forward in addressing the nation’s opioid crisis. However, this is not the final step in the process. The Senate and House of Representatives will need to agree on a final package to be sent to the president’s desk. ACMA is supportive of quick and decisive congressional action.

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