WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representatives Darin LaHood (R-IL), Danny Davis (D-IL), Adam Kinzinger (R-IL), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced a bipartisan bill to help address the nation’s opioid crisis. H.R. 5590, the Opioid Addiction Action Plan, would require the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) to develop an “Opioid Addiction Action Plan” to find innovative ways to fight this epidemic and help prevent opioid abuse.
Reps. LaHood and Davis, both members of the Ways and Means Committee, issued this statement following the bill’s introduction:
“Opioid abuse is an epidemic unlike any other, which is why we are proud to introduce the Opioid Addiction Action Plan,” said Reps. LaHood and Davis. “By encouraging more engagement on this issue and finding new ways to fight and prevent the abuse of opioids, it is our hope that our legislation can help CMS better fight this crisis that affects every corner of our districts.”
H.R. 5590 is being considered by both the Ways and Means Committee and the Energy and Commerce Committee. It would require that CMS develop an “Opioid Addiction Action Plan” with stakeholder feedback and to then report it to Congress by January 1, 2019. This action plan will help ensure that CMS is utilizing best practices and lessons learned from data collected as a result of continued efforts by Congress and the CMS after the passage of legislation like CARA and increased funding to fight the opioid crisis.
Topics to be covered in the action plan include:
- Recommendations on changes to the Medicare/Medicaid programs
- Recommendations for coverage of Medically Assisted Treatment and other therapies to manage and treat chronic pain
- Expanded access to treatment in rural and medically underserved areas
- Stakeholder collaboration
- Recommendations for provider education
- Updates/recommendations to service delivery models to encourage innovative opioid treatment
Rep. LaHood has made addressing the opioid crisis a priority for his office, hosting roundtables across the district with local stakeholders, including Peoria, Springfield, and twice in Quincy. Rep. LaHood has also voted in favor of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) and the 21st Century Cures Act, both of which expanded resources to combat the opioid epidemic. Congress also recently appropriated an additional $3.3 billion in federal funding to combat the opioid epidemic across the United States, including Illinois’ 18th District.
