House Approves Four AHA-Supported Opioid Bills

The House of Representatives last night approved 25 bills to combat the opioid crisis, including four supported by the AHA. The AHA-supported bills would provide resources for hospitals to develop protocols on discharging patients who have presented with an opioid overdose (H.R. 5176); establish a demonstration program to test alternative pain management protocols to limit opioid use in hospital emergency departments (H.R. 5197); direct the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to evaluate coverage of abuse-deterrent opioids in Medicare plans (H.R. 5582); and include opioid use and pain management resources in the “Medicare & You” handbook (H.R. 5685). Next week, the House is expected to consider additional AHA-supported bills, including bills to improve information sharing among providers with regard to substance use disorder treatment by aligning 42 CFR Part 2 regulations with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; and allow states to receive federal matching funds for up to 30 days per year for services provided to adult Medicaid beneficiaries with an opioid use disorder in an Institution for Mental Disease.