Blumenthal Introduces Legislation to Lower Cost of Critical Care for Opioid Use Disorder

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) introduced legislation to make it easier for individuals struggling with an opioid use disorder (OUD) to access evidence-based treatment. 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.

“Opioid use disorders upend lives and can lead to tragic, heart-breaking deaths. Individuals struggling with these disorders need and deserve access to affordable, quality treatment and support. This critical legislation draws on proven strategies in the fight against addiction to promote prevention and treatment efforts,” said Blumenthal. “By removing costly insurance barriers and bolstering Medicaid programs with increased funding, the MORE Savings Act ensures that those battling an opioid use disorder have access to the resources necessary to start and continue on the road to recovery.”

The legislation is cosponsored in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Peter Welch (D-VT).

“No New Mexican should be forced to choose between getting treatment and paying the rent,” said Heinrich. “I’m proud to support the MORE Savings Act to break down cost barriers to proven, life-saving care and help more people with opioid use disorder start their path to recovery.”

"Every day, more than 115 Americans lose their lives to opioid overdoses. As addiction continues to devastate families in New Mexico and across the country, we must ensure that cost is never a barrier to treatment," said Luján. "That’s why I’m proud to introduce the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency Savings Act— to make treatment more affordable and accessible, so more Americans have the chance to recover."

“The opioid epidemic has devastated families across the country. Cost should never be a barrier to getting addiction treatment. By eliminating the cost of care and medication, the MORE Savings Act would help more Americans break free from addiction and prime their road to recovery,” said Klobuchar.

“The opioid crisis is hurting families and communities across the country. In Vermont, opioid overdose deaths have skyrocketed nearly 500% in the past decade. We urgently need to find solutions that make it easier and more affordable for those in crisis to get the addiction care they need,” said Welch. “The MORE Savings Act breaks down barriers to the cost of care and medication to help more Americans recover from opioid-use disorder.”

The MORE Savings Act works to provide affordable access to OUD prevention, treatment, and recovery support. Specifically, the legislation requires individual and group health insurance plans to cover prescription drugs and recovery services with no cost-sharing—including copayments, deductibles, and coinsurance—and creates a pilot program to eliminate Medicare cost-sharing for OUD treatment and behavioral health services. The legislation also provides increased funding for Medicaid programs to provide prescription drugs and behavioral health services to better treat individuals struggling with an OUD.

The full text of the bill is available here.

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