Casey, Dean Introduce Bill to Lower Costs of Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
Every day, more than 115 Americans overdose and die from opioid misuse
Bill would help Americans with opioid use disorder afford medication, access outpatient treatment
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) is introducing legislation to lower costs for the more than 20 million Americans seeking opioid treatment, including life-saving medication and outpatient treatment programs. The Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency (MORE) Savings Act would eliminate costs for opioid treatment and recovery support services for people with private insurance plans and for people enrolled under a new Medicare pilot program, while increasing federal funding for Medicaid treatment programs. U.S. Representative Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4) will introduce companion legislation in the House.
“The opioid epidemic is devastating communities and tearing families apart in Pennsylvania and across the Nation. As people try to break free from its grasp, the cost of treatment should never be a barrier to recovery. By eliminating the cost of treatment and medication, the MORE Savings Act would begin to get more Americans with opioid use disorder on the road to recovery,” said Senator Casey.
“Through a cost-sharing model, people struggling with addiction will be able to access support with a lower cost burden — and the MORE Savings Act will help do that,” said Representative Dean.
The MORE Savings Act would require insurers who are offering individual or group health insurance to cover the prescription drugs and support services used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) and to reverse overdoses. It would also require those insurers to cover recovery support services in conjunction with treatment at no cost. The bill would establish a 5-year pilot program in 15 states to eliminate costs for people using Medicare OUD treatment, reverse overdoses, and provide recovery support. It would also increase federal investment in Medicaid programs providing those treatment services.
The MORE Savings Act is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).
Read more about the MORE Savings Act here.
