APA Praises Congressional Passage of Opioid Treatment and Prevention Package

A bipartisan legislative package passed yesterday by Congress takes many important steps toward combating the opioid crisis with a broad range of opioid treatment and prevention programs, said APA in astatement.“Opioid use disorder has taken a heavy toll on the health and well-being of Americans,” commented APA President Altha J. Stewart, M.D. “APA is grateful to see bipartisan support for increased access to treatment for substance use disorders [SUD], including expanded access to residential treatm ent and medication-assisted treatment.”APA was disappointed, however, that the bill failed to include a critical revamp of a federal regulation known as 42 CFR Part 2 to align it with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The changes for which APA had lobbied would have allowed for better care coordination, improved patient safety, and reduced stigma for SUD treatment while still preserving patient confidentiality, Stewart said. These measures are contained in the OPPS Act (HR 6082), which passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support earlier this year. “We urge the Senate to hold a separate vote on the OPPS Act to ensure that these reforms become law.”After passing the Senate 98 to 1, the legislation —The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (HR 6)—now awaits President Trump’s signature. One year has passed since President Trump declared the opioid epidemic a national emergency, yet overdose deaths continue to climb, surpassing 72...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Altha Stewart confidentiality HIPAA HR 6 HR 6082 opioid use disorder substance use disorder Support for Patients and Communities Act Source Type: research