Congress Prepares for Week of Opioid Hearings

Four congressional hearings on fighting the opioid crisis are scheduled for this week as the House and Senate step up efforts to pass legislation in this spring, reports CQ Roll Call . The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee plans to discuss a bipartisan package revealed while the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee will consider 34 bills. In addition, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism is holding a hearing on how to combat fentanyl, and the House Oversight Committee Subcommittee on Healthcare, Benefits, and Administrative Rule is looking at local responses to address the crisis. The Health Subcommittee will examine legislation related to improving the ability of Medicaid and Medicare to care for beneficiaries, which will touch on increasing telehealth to treat opioid use disorder, requiring Children's Health Insurance Program plans to cover substance use disorder treatment, and ordering the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services to assess the use of abuse-deterrent opioids in Medicare plans. Both chambers' legislative packages have similar language including a bill called Jessie's Law, which would help doctors learn more easily if someone has a history of abuse. The House ands Senate also are examining legislation to boost the interoperability of state prescription drug monitoring programs.