AHA Comments on Energy and Commerce Opioid Bills

AHA Friday voiced support for several legislative proposals before the House Energy and Commerce Committee to address the opioid crisis. In a letter to committee leaders, AHA Executive Vice President Tom Nickels said the association supports proposals to amend the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Disease exclusion; cover IMD substance use disorder treatment for pregnant women up to 12 months after delivery; and establish demonstration projects to study alternative emergency pain management protocols and expand provider capacity. AHA also endorsed draft legislation that would add chronic pain evaluation and management to Medicare’s initial preventive physical examination for new beneficiaries. Other AHA-supported proposals include directing the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to standardize electronic prior authorization, providing grants for prescriber education, requiring state Medicaid programs to integrate prescription drug monitoring program use into clinical workflows, and expanding access to telehealth for SUD treatment. The Energy and Commerce Committee has held hearings on dozens of opioid-related bills in its jurisdiction, many of which its Health Subcommittee is expected to mark up on April 25.