[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 103 (Wednesday, June 20, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E870-E871]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DR. TODD GRAHAM PAIN MANAGEMENT, TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY ACT OF 2018

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. KENNY MARCHANT

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 19, 2018

  Mr. MARCHANT. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6110, the 
Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act of 2018. 
Introduced by my colleague on the Ways and Means Committee, 
Representative Jackie Walorski, this legislation would direct the 
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to conduct a review on how 
to improve the use of non-opioid treatments for pain management for 
Part A and B Medicare beneficiaries.

[[Page E871]]

  The opioid crisis has been devastating communities across the nation 
for far too long. We need to take immediate steps to reduce the 
overprescribing of opioids and ensure patients have access to non-
addictive pain management options.
  Among the actions we can take to prevent addiction is to remove 
perceived financial incentives for doctors to prescribe generic opioids 
instead of non-opioid alternative drugs and medical devices, which are 
typically more expensive. I am pleased to see the text of my bill, H.R. 
5778--Promoting Outpatient Access to Non-Opioid Treatments Act, 
incorporated into H.R. 6110, to address this issue. The legislation 
instructs CMS to identify possible payment barriers in the Medicare 
program and consequently asks the Secretary to consider appropriate 
revisions to the reimbursement structure. It is a commonsense solution 
to guarantee doctors have the best tools available to deter opioid 
dependence.
  By examining ways to expand the use of non-opioid alternatives in 
Medicare, we can help cut the problem off at the source, while still 
being sensitive to patients' pain management needs. Mr. Speaker, on 
behalf of the 24th Congressional District of Texas, I strongly 
encourage my colleagues to support this bill and urge its immediate 
passage.

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