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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Brett Guthrie (KY-02), who serves as the Chair of the Health Subcommittee on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, released the following statement after Rep. Guthrie’s bill H.R. 4531, Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act passed the House of Representatives.

“I am proud that I was able to lead the bipartisan SUPPORT Act reauthorization in the House of Representatives alongside my colleague Rep. Kuster, and with the strong support of Chair Rodgers. We have lost more than 200,000 Americans in just the last two years due to drug overdoses and fentanyl poisonings. Our bill provides continued funding to communities across the Commonwealth and the nation that are grappling with the consequences of the overdose epidemic that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. We saw a pivotal opportunity to build off the work Congress did in 2018 by stopping the flow of illicit opioids, providing greater access to treatment services for vulnerable populations, and greater access to newly approved over-the-counter overdose reversal medications. I am confident that this bill can help save lives by preventing overdoses and providing access to immediate and long-term care recovery services,” said Chairman Guthrie.

“This bill is about offering hope to those in despair—those battling substance use disorder, their families and loved ones, and the health care workers and law enforcement officers who need continued support to help save lives. By reauthorizing the programs that were proving successful before Covid and increasing access to treatment, we can help restore hope and healing to those who need it most. I thank Subcommittee Chair Guthrie for his leadership on this important bipartisan legislation,” said Chair Rodgers.

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;

·       Enhanced funding for state-level prescription drug monitoring programs;

·       Placing Xylazine, an animal sedative which is being laced with synthetic opioids and becoming a deadly street drug, on the Controlled Substances list while exempting animal uses.

Click here to read full bill text.

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