Pew Offers Strategies for Combatting Opioid Crisis to Senate Finance Committee

On Feb. 16, The Pew Charitable Trusts submitted comments on ways to address the opioid crisis to the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, in response to calls for feedback from Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch and Ranking Member Ron Wyden. Pew’s comments recommend that legislators consider three issues when exploring ways to improve access to high-quality treatment in Medicare and Medicaid, including: 

1. coverage of Food and Drug Administration-approved medications; 
2. coverage of all of the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s levels of care; and 
3. innovative treatment models.