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Brady Statement on Bipartisan Package to Combat Opioid Crisis Being Signed into Law

October 24, 2018

Washington, D.C. – Today, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) released the following statement after President Trump signed into law H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, a bipartisan law aimed at combatting the opioid crisis:

“Congress came together in a strong bipartisan way to give needed help to our communities who are at the forefront of fighting the opioid crisis. This law is an important step forward in defeating this crisis, and it will save lives and make towns across the country safer.

“Sending this law to the President’s desk was a true bipartisan effort by every Member of our Committee. I especially want to thank Rep. Mike Bishop for his work to stop the flow of synthetic drugs into our country through the international mail system; Rep. Erik Paulsen for expanding resources for folks to understand the dangers of opioids before doctors prescribe them medication and promoting quality measures for pain management and opioid use disorder treatments; and Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam for increasing program integrity efforts and resources for Medicare beneficiaries to help prevent seniors from becoming addicted to these drugs. This is not our last step in this fight, and we look forward to continuing to work together until our country defeats this crisis once and for all.” 

Background: This bipartisan law combines over 70 bills from the House and Senate to combat the opioid crisis, including twenty policies that were wrapped up in seven major bills from Ways and Means.

Among those bills, the following were included in the final law:

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors (PASS) Act, by Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL), and Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Rep. Stephen Knight (R-CA), and Rep. Krysten Sinema (D-AZ):

  • Combines several member bills that aim to prevent opioid overuse by increasing program integrity efforts and resources for beneficiaries to help ensure that they are properly adhering to their prescribed pain medications.

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and Educational Resources (PROPER) Act, by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN), and Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME), and Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA):

  • Combines several member bills that aim to increase educational resources for Medicare beneficiaries. These resources ensure beneficiaries are aware of the adverse effects of prolonged opioid use and their coverage options for the treatment of pain. The PROPER ACT also eliminates pain-related questions from required patient satisfaction surveys in hospitals.

H.R. 5774, Combating Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals (COACH) Act, by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL), and Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Rep. Ted Budd (R-NC), and Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH):

  • Combines several member bills that aim to educate providers and beneficiaries to reduce opioid use, and promotes the development and adoption of quality measure related to opioid use and opioid use disorder treatments.

H.R. 6110, Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act, by Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA):

  • Combines several member bills that aim to eliminate Medicare payment incentives to prescribe opioids instead of non-opioid pain management treatments and expand access to non-opioid alternatives and substance use disorder treatment, including in underserved and rural areas.

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act, by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV):

  • Examines incentives under Medicare hospital payments for prescribing of opioids relative to non-opioid alternatives and the ability to track and monitor opioid use through Medicare claims.

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement (SENIOR) Communities Protection Act, Introduced by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), and Rep. Annie Kuster (D-NH):

  • Extends the authority of Medicare Prescription Drug Plans to suspend payments pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud against the provider or supplier— in the same manner already available under Medicare fee-for-service today.

H.R. 5788, Synthetics Trafficking and Overdose Prevention Act of 2018 (STOP Act of 2018), Introduced by Rep. Mike Bishop (R-MI), Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Trade Subcommittee Chairman Dave Reichert (R-WA), and Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA):

  • Requires the United States Postal Service to obtain advance electronic data on international mail shipments, which will allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection to target high-risk shipments – including those containing synthetic opioids – for inspection and seizure at the border.

The above bills included measures from many of the following pieces of legislation:

H.R. 5675, To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require prescription drug plan sponsors under the Medicare program to establish drug management programs for at-risk beneficiaries, by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Sander Levin (D-MI), and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM).

H.R. 4841, Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing, by Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), and Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM).

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement (SENIOR) Communities Protection Act, by Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ), Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), Rep. Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH).

H.R. 5684, Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act, by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA).

H.R. 5699, Hospital Opioid Solutions Toolkit (HOST) Act, by Rep. Carlos Curbelo (R-FL) and Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH).

H.R. 5686, Medicare Clear Health Options in Care for Enrollees (CHOICE) Act, by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN), Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY), and Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA).

H.R. 5715­­, Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act, by Rep. Jim Renacci (R-OH), Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA), and Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY).

H.R. 5716, Commit to Opioid Medical Prescriber Accountability and Safety for Seniors (COMPASS) Act, by Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Rep. John Larson (D-CT), Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), and Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT).

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act, by Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY), Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA), and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV).

H.R. 5718, Perioperative Reduction of Opioids (PRO) Act, by Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) and Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY).

H.R. 5714, Education for Disposal of Unused (EDU) Opioids Act, by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN), Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-NY), and Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA).

H.R. 5719, Reduce Overprescribing Opioids in Treatment (ROOT) Act, by Rep. Diane Black (R-TN) and Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ).

H.R. 5725, Benefit Evaluation of Safe Treatment (BEST) Act, by Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam (R-IL), Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA), Rep. Raul Ruiz (D-CA), and Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL).

H.R. 5722, Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management Improvement Act of 2018, by Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA).

H.R. 5779, Promoting Quality of Care in Pain Management Act, by Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).

H.R. 5777, Centralized Opioid Guidance (COG) Act of 2018, by Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA).

H.R. 5790, A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to provide for clinical psychologist services models to be tested by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, and for other purposes, by Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) and Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA).

H.R. 5769, Expanding Access to Treatment Act of 2018, by Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA) and Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL).

H.R. 5080, A bill based on the Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment (COMBAT) Act of 2018, by Rep. George Holding (R-NC).

H.R. 5778, Promoting Outpatient Access to Non-Opioid Treatments Act, by Rep. Kenny Marchant (R-TX) and Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI).