Congress revealed a 660-page revised opioids bill the night of Sept. 25 as part of a bipartisan effort to address the opioid epidemic, according to The Hill.
Here are four things to know:
1. The bill would temporarily eliminate the cap on Medicaid payments for large treatment facilities. These facilities would be eligible to receive some Medicaid funding for substance abuse treatment from states.
2. The bill would permit more healthcare providers to prescribe therapies with medication-assisted treatments and encourages the development of nonaddictive painkillers.
3. The bill also seeks to crack down on illicit opioids shipped to the U.S. from other countries.
4. The revised bill dropped a measure that would've reduced drugmakers' responsibility to pay for a higher share of Medicare drug costs, despite heavy lobbying from the pharmaceutical industry. Members of drug pricing groups and some Democrats strongly opposed this measure , calling it a "handout" for the industry, according to The Hill.
"Once signed into law, this legislation sends help to our communities fighting on the front lines of the crisis and to the millions of families affected by opioid use disorders," said chairmen and ranking members from both chambers in a joint statement cited by The Hill.
More articles on opioids:
House, Senate work to craft final opioids bill: 6 things to know
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Surgeon General Jerome Adams spotlights opioid epidemic in new report: 3 things to know