Breaking Addiction to Opioids

Floor Speech

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Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4981, the Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Expansion and Modernization Act.

Like the TREAT Act, which I introduced, this bill would allow qualified physician assistants and nurse practitioners to prescribe the medical treatment patients need to break their addiction to opioids. Utilizing these healthcare professionals is crucial to combat this epidemic, especially in medically underserved areas.

The bill would also increase the number of patients that physicians can prescribe Suboxone to from 100 to 250 per year. This is a step in the right direction. But there is no cap on the prescription of opioids, and it is counterproductive to cap treatment for opioid addiction.

The TREAT Act would eliminate this cap. The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions has reported out a version with an annual cap of 500 patients. I urge my colleagues to support the Senate position so that more Americans can access this lifesaving treatment.

I thank the sponsors of this bill, Mr. Bucshon and Mr. Tonko, and the Senate sponsor of the TREAT Act, Ed Markey, for their work on this important initiative.

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