Latest News

WASHINGTON, D.C. –House Energy and Commerce Committee Health Subcommittee Chairman Brett Guthrie (KY-02) introduced the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. This historic legislation would continue providing substance use and opioid use disorder treatment and recovery services to millions of Americans seeking help to overcome their substance use disorders, including through workforce training and access to long-term recovery services. Representative Guthrie was joined by Representative Ann McLane Kuster (NH-02) in introducing this legislation.

“In just the past two years, more than 200,000 Americans have tragically lost their lives to drug overdoses and poisonings, driven by synthetic opioids such as illicit fentanyl. In Kentucky, more than 70 percent of all drug overdoses are caused by illicit fentanyl,” said Guthrie. “The evidence is clear we have significantly more work to do to effectively curb historically high drug overdose rates, and I am proud to lead this critical reauthorization legislation. Ultimately, through an approach that promotes prevention, access to immediate life-saving care, and long-term recovery through wrap-around services, we can continue to save lives and curb this horrific epidemic.”

Background:

In 2018, with Representative Guthrie’s help, the Energy and Commerce Committee led the passage of the Substance Use Disorder Prevention That Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). This legislation provided access to substance use disorder treatment services for the most vulnerable seeking to overcome addiction. Specifically, the legislation provided coverage for certified opioid treatment programs for patients on Medicare and temporarily provided coverage of medication assisted treatment for Medicaid recipients.

The SUPPORT Act also included policies designed to prevent addiction entirely by through greater access to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved non-addictive pain management alternatives for Medicare beneficiaries and strengthened coordination between the FDA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to prevent illicit drug trafficking at our Southwest Border and through the mail.

To address the unprecedented rise in year-over-year drug overdose deaths, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act will continue these programs and make resources available to communities and to vulnerable individuals, including:

•                 Providing permanent coverage of medication assisted treatment for Medicaid beneficiaries;

•                 Offering greater access to over-the-counter opioid reversal medications;

•                 Coverage of substance use disorder treatment services for foster care youth, and;

•                 Enhanced funding for state-level prescription drug monitoring programs.

The Section by Section can be found HERE

###