RehabInfo.com Established As Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 Passes in Congress

In a rare bipartisan effort this week, Congress approved new legislation that will expand access to addiction treatment centers across the United States, making it easier for those fighting addiction to get the help they deserve.

President Trump will soon sign the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 into law, allowing Medicaid and Medicare coverage for certain drug treatment options. People looking for information on drug and alcohol addiction, treatment facilities and treatment options can use the resource portal at RehabInfo.com.

The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 has two main provisions that are aimed at curbing the out of control opioid epidemic that is responsible for more than 72,000 deaths in 2017 alone.

The first provision paves the way for low-income Americans covered under Medicaid to be eligible for residential treatment in large facilities. The second important provision allows seniors covered under Medicare to have methadone treatment paid by their federal healthcare plan. Both of these changes mean more access to treatment.

“We will work to strengthen vulnerable families and communities, and we will help to build and grow a stronger, healthier, and drug-free society,” President Trump says.

Still, with such a serious epidemic, many critics say that the proposed $8.5 billion in federal spending the bill calls for is not enough.

“This legislation edges us closer to treating addiction as the devastating disease it is, but it neglects to provide the long-term investment we’ve seen in responses to other major public health crises,” said Lindsey Vuolo, Associate Director of Health Law and Policy at Center on Addiction. “We won’t be able to make meaningful progress against the tide of addiction unless we make significant changes to incorporate addiction treatment into the existing health care system.”

Since 1999, the number of drug overdose deaths involving opioids in the U.S. has quadrupled, totaling over a half a million fatalities during that period.

According to the U.N.’s World Drug Report 2016, the amount of heroin users in the United States hit a 20-year high. The number of heroin users in the U.S. reached near one million in 2014, representing a three-fold increase from 2003. Heroin-related deaths have increased five-fold since 2000.

“This provision alone will go a long way to improving both the quality of addiction treatment and its availability to low-income people,” said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors.

The new provision also could save Medicaid money by avoiding the unnecessary hospitalizations that have resulted when people were unable to find and pay for care.

Those looking to find information on specific treatment centers in their area, or to get help with addiction, can visit RehabInfo.com — an online resource for information on drug and alcohol addiction, treatment facilities and treatment options.

Visit https://rehabinfo.com to learn more.