Oct 3, 2017
President’s Opioid Commission Continues to Work
New HHS Secretary to be Nominated
PPU: 10.03.17
Last week the President’s Commission on the Opioid Crisis, Chaired by Governor Christie, met in Washington DC. Their report was due October 1, but has been delayed by at least a month.
In their preliminary report, the Commission made a number of suggestions supported by the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers. Among them were recommendations that the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (Parity) be enforced. They also recommended that states be given waivers to the IMD 16 bed exclusion for Medicaid patients needing SUD treatment.
Another recommendation was that the President should declare the opioid epidemic a national emergency. While the President stated that it was a national emergency, he has yet to actually issue the declaration.
The latest Commission meeting focused on the role pharmaceuticals play in both creating the opioid crisis as well as how they might be part of the solution. Panelists discussed the possibilities associated with non-addictive pain medications.
The Commission indicated it plans to meet several times before their final report is released. NAATP will closely follow their activity, while reminding them that SUD in every form is critically important.
In other news, President Trump will soon be nominating a new HHS Secretary following the resignation of Tom Price. Whom the President selects will be very telling regarding how the Affordable Care Act debate progresses.
He may choose to nominate someone from Congress who is solidly opposed to the ACA. Or he could decide it’s time to work on a bi-partisan basis to fix the problems associated with the act and nominate someone with that capability. This decision will play a pivotal role in how the debate moves forward.
Mark Dunn
NAATP Director of Public Policy
Washington, DC
