WASHINGTON, D.C.—Congressman LaHood (IL-18) and the U.S. House of Representatives, today, passed sweeping bipartisan legislation, H.R. 6, the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic, which included Rep. LaHood’s bill, the Opioid Addiction Action Plan. Specifically, the Opioid Addiction Action Plan will require the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) to develop an “Opioid Action Plan” along with stakeholders, to find innovative ways we can combat this ongoing epidemic. As a whole, this represents the largest legislative effort to fight the opioid epidemic and will incentivize the development of non-addictive painkillers, alternative pain management, expand grant funding for local law enforcement to combat the flow of fentanyl, and provide additional funding for rehabilitation opportunities.
“The opioid and heroin epidemic has ravaged communities and families in central and west-central Illinois, uprooting lives in ways we haven’t seen before. Since being elected, addressing this crisis has been a priority of mine, and I was pleased that my legislation was included in this strong bipartisan effort. The Opioid Addition Action Plan will help create a comprehensive approach in the Medicare program regarding addiction policy and help equip CMS with the necessary resources to combat this crisis in our communities,” stated Rep. LaHood. “As a whole, this collective effort will provide relief to families and their loved ones who are dealing first-hand with opioid addiction. While we still have work to do, this bipartisan legislation continues to show Congress’ dedication towards ending this epidemic.”
You can read the full legislation here.
Rep. LaHood has made addressing the opioid epidemic a priority for his office, holding four roundtables in Springfield, Peoria, and twice in Quincy, bringing together Federal, State, and local stakeholders to discuss what solutions are working and what tools are still needed to fight this ongoing epidemic throughout Illinois’ 18th Congressional District.
What does H.R. 6 do?
For Communities
- Increases access to federal resources – including funding --for local communities
- Gives law enforcement the necessary resources to better intercept illicit drugs from coming into the country
- Issues new grants for local communities to reduce the flow of fentanyl
For Prevention
- Incentivizes the creation of non-addictive alternatives to pain medications
- Enhances the use of electronic prescribing and drug monitoring programs so physicians and pharmacists can better combat prescription fraud
- Improves data collection so at-risk families and patients can be treated
For Treatment
- Establishes opioid-specific recovery centers
- Refines education for providers by expanding evidence-based, high-quality health care options
- Strengthens coverage in Medicare for treatment for individuals suffering from opioid addiction
