[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3696-S3697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mr. Cardin):
  S. 4618. A bill to improve access to opioid use disorder treatment 
services under the Medicare program; to the Committee on Finance.
  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, the opioid epidemic continues to claim 
the lives of far too many people, with record numbers of both Mainers 
and Americans lost in 2021. While many perceive the face of opioid 
addiction as young, the epidemic harms older adults as well. In Maine, 
more than 10 percent of drug overdose deaths last year were among 
residents 60 and older.
  Each and every opioid death is preventable, but we must ensure the 
unique needs of seniors struggling with addiction are not forgotten. 
That is why I rise today with my colleague from Maryland, Senator 
Cardin, to introduce legislation to improve seniors' awareness of, and 
access to, opioid use disorder, OUD, treatment covered by the Medicare 
Program. Our bill, the Supporting Seniors with Opioid Use Disorder Act 
of 2022, is in response to recent findings from the inspector general 
that confirm the urgent need to increase the number of Medicare 
beneficiaries receiving treatment for opioid use disorder.
  The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the increased 
prevalence of fentanyl, have aggravated this national crisis. Even 
before COVID-19, however, the number of people age 55 or older treated 
in emergency rooms for nonfatal opioid overdoses was increasing, with a 
shocking 32 percent jump in E.R. visits from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, as 
chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I chaired a hearing 
on this very topic in attempt to shed light on this often-overlooked 
population. One expert witness told the Aging Committee, ``Medicare 
beneficiaries are the fastest growing population of diagnosed opioid 
use disorders.''
  Compounding these disturbing statistics is a December 2021 Department 
of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, OIG, report 
exploring whether Medicare beneficiaries with opioid use disorder 
receive medication and behavioral therapy. It found more than 1 million 
Medicare beneficiaries were diagnosed with OUD in 2020, yet fewer than 
16 percent of those patients received medication to treat their OUD. 
The report also concluded older beneficiaries were three times less 
likely to receive medication to treat their OUD than younger 
beneficiaries. Even fewer beneficiaries received both medication and 
behavioral therapy. The conclusion is clear: Medicare beneficiaries are 
not receiving the OUD treatment they need.
  Our bill, the Supporting Seniors with Opioid Use Disorder Act of 
2022, would codify the recommendations made by the HHS OIG regarding 
how to improve beneficiaries' awareness of Medicare coverage for OUD 
treatment and how to identify current gaps and opportunities to better 
meet the needs of this unique population. Specifically, our legislation 
would require CMS to conduct additional outreach to beneficiaries to 
increase awareness about Medicare coverage for the treatment of OUD, 
such as by revising outreach and enrollment materials, making State and 
national contact information for healthcare providers publicly 
available in an easily accessible manner, and developing or improving 
continuing education programs on opioid medications

[[Page S3697]]

and substance use disorder treatment programs. Our bill would also 
improve data sharing within Agencies at HHS with the goal of obtaining 
a better understanding of current treatment gaps.
  Lastly, the bill would require HHS to convene a stakeholder meeting 
to share best practices on the use of behavioral therapy among 
beneficiaries receiving medication to treat opioid use disorder. 
Emerging research points to evidence that patients receiving medication 
to treat opioid use disorder may also benefit from behavioral therapy, 
so this opportunity for collaboration on strategies to support better 
treatment engagement and continuity could be beneficial to both 
patients and healthcare professionals.
  The overdose crisis continues to ravage the country, and it is 
critical that people who are suffering from opioid use disorder have 
access to the treatment they need to survive and thrive--including our 
seniors. Challenges in treatment and recovery undoubtedly persist, but 
the actions taken in this legislation can help guide our continued 
response. I urge my colleagues to support the adoption of this 
important legislation that will support seniors' access to opioid use 
disorder services and our understanding of potential disparities in 
treatment.
                                 ______