AHA supports bill covering patient costs for naloxone

The AHA Sept. 4 expressed support for the Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites Act (H.R. 5120), legislation that would require Medicare and Medicaid to cover costs when hospitals provide naloxone to patients at risk of an overdose at no cost to patients. “Hospitals are critical access points along the substance use disorder (SUD) care continuum and, therefore, must be well equipped to address key areas,” the AHA wrote. “Prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery are the generally accepted and nationally recognized areas of focus in the SUD care continuum. Patients who initiate SUD care during hospitalization are more likely to enter outpatient treatment, stay in treatment longer and have more substance-free days compared to those offered only a referral.”