House holds hearing on substance use disorder bills

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee held a hearing March 3 on two substance use disorders (SUD) bills. The Opioid Workforce Act (H.R. 3414/S. 2892) would add 1,000 Medicare-funded training positions to approved residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry or pain management over a five-year period. The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act (H.R. 2482/S. 2074) would eliminate a requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver from the Drug Enforcement Administration to prescribe buprenorphine for SUD treatment. The subcommittee also discussed 14 bills to further expand access to SUD treatment, including two bipartisan bills supported by the American Hospital Association (AHA). (AHA News story, 3/3/20)