The House of Representatives today passed by a vote of 393-8 the final version of the Opioid Crisis Response Act (H.R. 6). The House-Senate agreement includes an AHA-supported provision that would allow states to receive federal Medicaid matching funds for up to 30 days per year for services provided to adults aged 21-64 for substance use disorders in Institutions for Mental Diseases. The bill also includes AHA-supported provisions addressing health insurance for former foster youth; maternal and infant health; access to telehealth and medication-assisted treatment; parity in Children’s Health Insurance Program mental health and substance use disorder benefits; a demonstration program to promote alternatives to opioids in emergency departments; revisions to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems questions relating to pain management; care coordination for drug overdose patients; and improvements to coordination of prescription drug monitoring programs. The Senate is expected to vote on the agreement in October.
 

Headline
The cigarette smoking rate among U.S. adults dropped to 9.9% in 2024, the lowest level ever recorded, according to a report by the New England Journal of…
Headline
A study published by BMJ found that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs could help reduce the risk of various substance use disorders, including for alcohol…
Headline
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced March 6 that it will award $69.1 million in grants for mental health and suicide…
Headline
The Food and Drug Administration March 5 issued a request for information seeking public comments on potential new standards for in-home opioid disposal…
Headline
The Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights Feb. 13 announced the launch of a program to implement and enforce statutory and regulatory…
Headline
The White House issued an executive order Jan. 29 to address substance use and addiction. The order establishes the White House Great American Recovery…