Senate Finance Committee Introduces 22 Bills to Address Opioid Crisis

The Senate Finance Committee yesterday introduced 22 bipartisan bills to address the opioid crisis in Medicare, Medicaid and human services programs. The Medicaid-related bills include provisions related to inpatient treatment services furnished in institutions for mental disease and medical assistance to infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, among other issues. The Medicare bills include provisions to educate Medicare beneficiaries about opioid use and pain management and screen for potential substance use disorders; expand telehealth use for SUDs; require e-prescribing of controlled substances and electronic prior authorization under Part D; and impose certain requirements with respect to outlier opioid prescribers. Committee leaders expect to schedule a markup on the bills and possibly additional proposals in the coming weeks.