The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a sweeping opioid bill on Wednesday, and it is headed to the president for his signature.
Pennsylvania’s senators both have provisions included in the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act. The bill includes four provisions led by U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., and five provisions led by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa.
“Congress has taken another important step forward in fighting the horrendous opioid crisis by providing significant assistance to aid treatment, prevention, and law enforcement,” said Toomey. “Notably, this bill plugs a glaring hole in the Medicare program by ensuring doctors are actually notified if their patient has previously overdosed before writing them another opioid prescription.”
Casey urged President Donald Trump to approve the legislation quickly.
“Congress has taken a strong step forward in passing this legislation that will work to strengthen states’ resources in the ongoing fight against the opioid crisis,” said Casey. “I was proud to work across the aisle to ensure that a number of my priorities were included in this bill, including vital supports to protect mothers and infants.”
Toomey’s provisions include encouraging appropriate prescribing for victims of a prior opioid overdose in Medicare; strengthening partnerships to prevent opioid abuse by creating an online portal to report overprescribing, abuse or fraud to Medicare and Medicaid; mandating electronic prescriptions for controlled substances in Medicare Part D; and establishing a threshold to identify prescribers who are considered outlier opioid prescribers.
Casey’s provisions would require states to allow former foster youth who age out of the system to keep Medicaid until they turn 26; provide support for states to improve care for substance-exposed infants; require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue and update a report regarding prenatal opioid use; study and report on medication assisted treatment utilization controls under Medicaid; and provide Medicare coverage for certain services provided by opioid treatment programs, including medications, counseling and therapy.
