Medicare would be authorized to cover residential addiction and in-patient treatment programs for America’s senior citizens under bipartisan legislation recently introduced by U.S. Reps. David Valadao (R-CA) and Carol Miller (R-WV).
“Substance use disorder can affect anyone, and over the last two decades, overdose deaths among older Americans have increased at an alarming rate,” Rep. Valadao said. “While Medicaid covers residential addiction treatment, too many seniors who rely on Medicare are left without access to these critical services or forced to pay out-of-pocket for expensive services they can’t afford.”
Reps. Valadao and Miller on June 30 cosponsored the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act, H.R. 9538, alongside bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL) and fellow cosponsors including U.S. Reps. Darren LaHood (R-IL) and Mike Bost (R-IL) to help lower the rate of drug overdoses among older adults.
“In a state where seniors represent more than 20 percent of the population, substance use disorders among older adults remain a serious yet frequently overlooked challenge,” said Rep. Miller. “This bill is an important step to expand access to recovery care for seniors and support families facing addiction.”
H.R. 9538 would create a new Medicare benefit to cover residential and inpatient treatment for opioid use disorder.
Medicare coverage would be included for low-intensity residential treatment for individuals who need ongoing support in a structured setting; high-intensity residential treatment for individuals requiring more comprehensive clinical care; and medically managed residential treatment for patients with more complex medical and addiction treatment needs.
The bill also would establish a predictable Medicare payment system that reimburses treatment providers through a fixed payment amount, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Among the many supporting organizations of the bill are the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the Legal Action Center, Pyramid Healthcare, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, The Kennedy Forum, Treatment Communities of America, the HIV Alliance, and the Mental Health Association of Maryland.
H.R. 9538 has been referred for consideration to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee.