Senate panel approves bill to increase student access to telehealth services to curb opioid epidemic

Statement

A key U.S. Senate panel Tuesday unanimously approved legislation that would require the federal government to explore the use of telehealth as a cost-efficient way to provide students with substance use disorders -- such as an addiction to alcohol or opioids -- the professional help they need at their school health clinics.

The legislation -- sponsored by U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) -- would direct the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to study options to provide students Medicaid-funded telehealth services at their school health centers, especially in rural and underserved areas where the number of available doctors is more scarce.

"The nation's opioid crisis is devastating our communities," Nelson said. "Providing our students easy access to treat these substance use disorders sooner rather than later is just another small step we can take in this ongoing fight against this growing public health emergency."

Telehealth services allow patients to meet with a doctor via video conferencing or over the phone, instead of requiring them to meet in person.

By using telehealth services, one doctor can be available to multiple students at multiple schools in a single day. It also eliminates the time and expense that often prohibits some rural patients from seeking help from a doctor located miles away.

The legislation was passed as part of a broader bill that the U.S. Senate Finance committee approved Tuesday to combat the nation's opioid epidemic.

Also included in that bill are several other provisions Nelson sponsored to help curb the opioid epidemic, including:

* A provision requiring Medicare to provide coverage for opioid addiction-recovery services such as medication-assisted treatment, toxicology screening and behavioral health services.

* A provision requiring doctors, nurses and health care providers to discuss the risk of opioid addiction with patients covered under Medicare.

* A provision requiring that comprehensive information on the risk of opioid addiction be included in the "Medicare & You" handbook that's mailed each year to seniors on Medicare.

* A provision to ensure states are aware of non-opioid treatment options, such as physical therapy, that they can provide to residents under Medicaid.

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