| On Thursday, May 17, the House Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C) cleared 32 additional opioid-related measures during its second markup on the issue. In total, E&C has now advanced 57 bills to combat the opioid overdose crisis. While most measures were easily approved on a bipartisan basis, committee members disagreed over a number of bills related to expanding buprenorphine prescribing authorities, lifting a decades old ban on Medicaid payments for mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) residential treatment facilities with more than 16 beds, and permitting physicians to more easily access and share medical records related to patients’ SUD therapies. During the hearing, E&C Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) suggested that Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has committed to reserving House floor time in June to consider a comprehensive legislative package. |
