A bill authored by U.S. Rep. Mimi Walters (R-CA) that would remove a barrier to inpatient drug addiction care for Medicaid beneficiaries received U.S. House approval on June 20 by a bipartisan vote of 261-155.
“Unfortunately, current law prohibits some Medicaid-eligible patients from seeking inpatient addiction treatment at IMDs,” said Rep. Walters, referring to institutions for mental diseases. The IMD Care Act will repeal the IMD exclusion to help those battling opioid addiction get the help they need to rebuild their lives.”
The IMD CARE Act, H.R. 5797 – officially the Individuals in Medicaid Deserve (IMD) Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution (CARE) Act – would allow state Medicaid programs from fiscal year (FY) 2019 through FY 2023 to remove the IMD exclusion for certain Medicaid beneficiaries who suffer with an opioid use disorder.
Under current law, states cannot receive federal matching funds for Medicaid-eligible recipients aged 21 through 64 who receive inpatient treatment at an IMD, unless the IMD has less than 16 inpatient beds. IMDs are facilities such as hospitals and nursing centers that provide treatment or care of persons with mental diseases, which by federal law include substance abuse disorders like opioid addiction.
If enacted, H.R. 5797 would permit Medicaid to pay for up to 30 total days of care in an IMD during a 12-month period, according to a summary provided by the U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee, which had passed H.R. 5797 by voice vote on June 12.
“The vast majority of drug overdose deaths in this country are due to opioid abuse,” Rep. Walters said. “We can properly address the growing opioid epidemic by ensuring those struggling with addiction have access to quality care.”
Also included in the House-approved H.R. 5797 was an amendment offered by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL) that would expand the definition further to provide coverage for individuals seeking treatment from cocaine and crack cocaine usage.
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) and the committee’s Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX) in a joint statement released on June 20, applauded Rep. Walters for her leadership on the bill, which they noted “will improve the continuum of care for patients seeking treatment all across the country.”
“The opioid crisis has impacted families across the country in record numbers,” the lawmakers said. “The targeted removal of this outdated law that has become a barrier to care will allow Medicaid to cover the cost of care for adult patients who need specialized inpatient treatment for opioid misuse, helping these vulnerable patients get the critical treatment and services they need.”
The approval of H.R. 5797 was part of a House passage-marathon this week in which 18 pieces of legislation aimed at ending the nation’s opioid crisis advanced to the U.S. Senate for consideration.
U.S. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said that “access to treatment is paramount for anyone fighting to save their life from opioid addiction,” and he added that H.R. 5797 would increase such access “for Medicaid recipients seeking a new chance at life.”
“This bill can save lives -– and Mimi cannot be thanked enough for her leadership to get this bill one step closer to law,” said Rep. McCarthy.