KELLY CORREDOR

Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for introduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9538). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs. Advocated for S. 4941 / H.R. 9790 - the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act 2.0, which would allow specially registered addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that could be accessed at pharmacies. Sent a public RFI response to HHS, calling for alignment of federal programs around evidence-based prevention, risk reduction, treatment engagement and retention, recovery support, and continuous quality improvement and encouraging a focus on federal policies that prioritize interventions supported by rigorous evidence; reduce administrative barriers that disrupt patient care; expand access through telehealth and team-based models; and modernize data systems to support continued learning Sent a public comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to its proposed rule that would significantly alter Uniform Guidance governing federal grants, many of which are used to fund scientific research. Joined coalition letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its issuance of a proposed rule that would set caps on Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Practitioner Payments. The letter urges the agency not to finalize the proposed rule, which risks negatively impacting clinicians providing substance use disorder treatment and the ability for patients to access care. Submitted comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing Medicaid community engagement/work reporting requirements. While ASAM emphasized that meaningful community engagement, including employment, can be an important component of recovery, participating in those activities is fundamentally different from complying with ongoing administrative reporting and verification requirements that could undermine recovery by creating barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage and access to treatment. Submitted public comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the proposed temporary scheduling of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), recognizing concerns about the risks associated with concentrated 7-OH products, including dependence, withdrawal, inconsistent product composition, and limited regulatory oversight. ASAM highlighted that the current scientific evidence is insufficient to support any specific concentration or quantity threshold as a validated indicator of an imminent public safety risk. Submitted public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the agency's Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. Highlighted the growing volume and complexity of alcohol and drug-related hospital encounters and pointed to the Society's Implementation Guide for Hospital and Emergency Department Substance Use Disorder Care as a roadmap for strengthening addiction treatment in hospital and emergency department settings. Sent public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed its CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), urging CMS to support access to addiction treatment by delaying proposed practice expense changes, increasing payment for key prevention and treatment services, expanding telehealth flexibilities for intensive outpatient services, opposing payment cuts for certain evaluation and management services, updating policies related to extended-release buprenorphine, and developing future payment models that better recognize medically managed outpatient addiction care.

Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for introduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9538). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs. Advocated for S. 4941 / H.R. 9790 - the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act 2.0, which would allow specially registered addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that could be accessed at pharmacies. Sent a public RFI response to HHS, calling for alignment of federal programs around evidence-based prevention, risk reduction, treatment engagement and retention, recovery support, and continuous quality improvement and encouraging a focus on federal policies that prioritize interventions supported by rigorous evidence; reduce administrative barriers that disrupt patient care; expand access through telehealth and team-based models; and modernize data systems to support continued learning Sent a public comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to its proposed rule that would significantly alter Uniform Guidance governing federal grants, many of which are used to fund scientific research. Joined coalition letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its issuance of a proposed rule that would set caps on Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Practitioner Payments. The letter urges the agency not to finalize the proposed rule, which risks negatively impacting clinicians providing substance use disorder treatment and the ability for patients to access care. Submitted comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing Medicaid community engagement/work reporting requirements. While ASAM emphasized that meaningful community engagement, including employment, can be an important component of recovery, participating in those activities is fundamentally different from complying with ongoing administrative reporting and verification requirements that could undermine recovery by creating barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage and access to treatment. Submitted public comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the proposed temporary scheduling of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), recognizing concerns about the risks associated with concentrated 7-OH products, including dependence, withdrawal, inconsistent product composition, and limited regulatory oversight. ASAM highlighted that the current scientific evidence is insufficient to support any specific concentration or quantity threshold as a validated indicator of an imminent public safety risk. Submitted public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the agency's Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. Highlighted the growing volume and complexity of alcohol and drug-related hospital encounters and pointed to the Society's Implementation Guide for Hospital and Emergency Department Substance Use Disorder Care as a roadmap for strengthening addiction treatment in hospital and emergency department settings. Sent public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed its CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), urging CMS to support access to addiction treatment by delaying proposed practice expense changes, increasing payment for key prevention and treatment services, expanding telehealth flexibilities for intensive outpatient services, opposing payment cuts for certain evaluation and management services, updating policies related to extended-release buprenorphine, and developing future payment models that better recognize medically managed outpatient addiction care.

Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for introduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9538). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs. Advocated for S. 4941 / H.R. 9790 - the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act 2.0, which would allow specially registered addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that could be accessed at pharmacies. Sent a public RFI response to HHS, calling for alignment of federal programs around evidence-based prevention, risk reduction, treatment engagement and retention, recovery support, and continuous quality improvement and encouraging a focus on federal policies that prioritize interventions supported by rigorous evidence; reduce administrative barriers that disrupt patient care; expand access through telehealth and team-based models; and modernize data systems to support continued learning Sent a public comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to its proposed rule that would significantly alter Uniform Guidance governing federal grants, many of which are used to fund scientific research. Joined coalition letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its issuance of a proposed rule that would set caps on Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Practitioner Payments. The letter urges the agency not to finalize the proposed rule, which risks negatively impacting clinicians providing substance use disorder treatment and the ability for patients to access care. Submitted comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing Medicaid community engagement/work reporting requirements. While ASAM emphasized that meaningful community engagement, including employment, can be an important component of recovery, participating in those activities is fundamentally different from complying with ongoing administrative reporting and verification requirements that could undermine recovery by creating barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage and access to treatment. Submitted public comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the proposed temporary scheduling of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), recognizing concerns about the risks associated with concentrated 7-OH products, including dependence, withdrawal, inconsistent product composition, and limited regulatory oversight. ASAM highlighted that the current scientific evidence is insufficient to support any specific concentration or quantity threshold as a validated indicator of an imminent public safety risk. Submitted public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the agency's Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. Highlighted the growing volume and complexity of alcohol and drug-related hospital encounters and pointed to the Society's Implementation Guide for Hospital and Emergency Department Substance Use Disorder Care as a roadmap for strengthening addiction treatment in hospital and emergency department settings. Sent public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed its CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), urging CMS to support access to addiction treatment by delaying proposed practice expense changes, increasing payment for key prevention and treatment services, expanding telehealth flexibilities for intensive outpatient services, opposing payment cuts for certain evaluation and management services, updating policies related to extended-release buprenorphine, and developing future payment models that better recognize medically managed outpatient addiction care.

Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for introduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9538). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs. Advocated for S. 4941 / H.R. 9790 - the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act 2.0, which would allow specially registered addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that could be accessed at pharmacies. Sent a public RFI response to HHS, calling for alignment of federal programs around evidence-based prevention, risk reduction, treatment engagement and retention, recovery support, and continuous quality improvement and encouraging a focus on federal policies that prioritize interventions supported by rigorous evidence; reduce administrative barriers that disrupt patient care; expand access through telehealth and team-based models; and modernize data systems to support continued learning Sent a public comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to its proposed rule that would significantly alter Uniform Guidance governing federal grants, many of which are used to fund scientific research. Joined coalition letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its issuance of a proposed rule that would set caps on Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Practitioner Payments. The letter urges the agency not to finalize the proposed rule, which risks negatively impacting clinicians providing substance use disorder treatment and the ability for patients to access care. Submitted comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing Medicaid community engagement/work reporting requirements. While ASAM emphasized that meaningful community engagement, including employment, can be an important component of recovery, participating in those activities is fundamentally different from complying with ongoing administrative reporting and verification requirements that could undermine recovery by creating barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage and access to treatment. Submitted public comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the proposed temporary scheduling of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), recognizing concerns about the risks associated with concentrated 7-OH products, including dependence, withdrawal, inconsistent product composition, and limited regulatory oversight. ASAM highlighted that the current scientific evidence is insufficient to support any specific concentration or quantity threshold as a validated indicator of an imminent public safety risk. Submitted public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the agency's Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. Highlighted the growing volume and complexity of alcohol and drug-related hospital encounters and pointed to the Society's Implementation Guide for Hospital and Emergency Department Substance Use Disorder Care as a roadmap for strengthening addiction treatment in hospital and emergency department settings. Sent public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed its CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), urging CMS to support access to addiction treatment by delaying proposed practice expense changes, increasing payment for key prevention and treatment services, expanding telehealth flexibilities for intensive outpatient services, opposing payment cuts for certain evaluation and management services, updating policies related to extended-release buprenorphine, and developing future payment models that better recognize medically managed outpatient addiction care.

Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY27 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for introduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9538). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs. Advocated for S. 4941 / H.R. 9790 - the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act 2.0, which would allow specially registered addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that could be accessed at pharmacies. Sent a public RFI response to HHS, calling for alignment of federal programs around evidence-based prevention, risk reduction, treatment engagement and retention, recovery support, and continuous quality improvement and encouraging a focus on federal policies that prioritize interventions supported by rigorous evidence; reduce administrative barriers that disrupt patient care; expand access through telehealth and team-based models; and modernize data systems to support continued learning Sent a public comment letter to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in response to its proposed rule that would significantly alter Uniform Guidance governing federal grants, many of which are used to fund scientific research. Joined coalition letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its issuance of a proposed rule that would set caps on Medicaid Managed Care State Directed Payments and Medicaid Fee-for-Service Targeted Practitioner Payments. The letter urges the agency not to finalize the proposed rule, which risks negatively impacting clinicians providing substance use disorder treatment and the ability for patients to access care. Submitted comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding the agency's Interim Final Rule (IFR) implementing Medicaid community engagement/work reporting requirements. While ASAM emphasized that meaningful community engagement, including employment, can be an important component of recovery, participating in those activities is fundamentally different from complying with ongoing administrative reporting and verification requirements that could undermine recovery by creating barriers to maintaining Medicaid coverage and access to treatment. Submitted public comment letter to the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding the proposed temporary scheduling of 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH), recognizing concerns about the risks associated with concentrated 7-OH products, including dependence, withdrawal, inconsistent product composition, and limited regulatory oversight. ASAM highlighted that the current scientific evidence is insufficient to support any specific concentration or quantity threshold as a validated indicator of an imminent public safety risk. Submitted public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in response to the agency's Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS) proposed rule. Highlighted the growing volume and complexity of alcohol and drug-related hospital encounters and pointed to the Society's Implementation Guide for Hospital and Emergency Department Substance Use Disorder Care as a roadmap for strengthening addiction treatment in hospital and emergency department settings. Sent public comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently proposed its CY 2027 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS), urging CMS to support access to addiction treatment by delaying proposed practice expense changes, increasing payment for key prevention and treatment services, expanding telehealth flexibilities for intensive outpatient services, opposing payment cuts for certain evaluation and management services, updating policies related to extended-release buprenorphine, and developing future payment models that better recognize medically managed outpatient addiction care.

Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Sent a letter to DOJ regarding amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Sent a letter to OMB, advocating for the streamlining of regulations that hinder innovation in public health and safety approaches that could meaningfully impact access to addiction treatment, including: (1) streamlining regulations to increase access to addiction treatment medications; and (2) reducing prescribing barriers that disincentivize clinicians from prescribing addiction treatment medications. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Participated in Congressional briefing on the financial sustainability of addiction treatment services. In coalition with the Mental Health Liaison Group, joined a letter urging members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to pass the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) out of committee. Sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlined three top priorities for the agency's consideration, each of which would have a positive impact on the lives of Americans impacted by addiction. Joined coalition letters to House and Senate leadership urging them to reject the administration's elimination of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and to continue funding CDC projects focused on reducing tobacco use. Joined a coalition letter about certain workforce reductions at HHS, including FDA and CDC, will hurt the country's ability to regulate harmful tobacco products and reduce tobacco use; the letter was to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Joined a coalition letter to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern over the recent decision to terminate the entire membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to ONDCPs request for input, sent a letter with recommendations to remove barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Sent a letter to US Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Chris Van Hollen (MD), expressing strong support for S. 1941- the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, which aims to establish an innovative purchasing model and support a public health infrastructure for a test-to-treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) program, thereby improving patient access to comprehensive treatment.

Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Sent a letter to DOJ regarding amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Sent a letter to OMB, advocating for the streamlining of regulations that hinder innovation in public health and safety approaches that could meaningfully impact access to addiction treatment, including: (1) streamlining regulations to increase access to addiction treatment medications; and (2) reducing prescribing barriers that disincentivize clinicians from prescribing addiction treatment medications. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Participated in Congressional briefing on the financial sustainability of addiction treatment services. In coalition with the Mental Health Liaison Group, joined a letter urging members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to pass the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) out of committee. Sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlined three top priorities for the agency's consideration, each of which would have a positive impact on the lives of Americans impacted by addiction. Joined coalition letters to House and Senate leadership urging them to reject the administration's elimination of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and to continue funding CDC projects focused on reducing tobacco use. Joined a coalition letter about certain workforce reductions at HHS, including FDA and CDC, will hurt the country's ability to regulate harmful tobacco products and reduce tobacco use; the letter was to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Joined a coalition letter to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern over the recent decision to terminate the entire membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to ONDCPs request for input, sent a letter with recommendations to remove barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Sent a letter to US Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Chris Van Hollen (MD), expressing strong support for S. 1941- the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, which aims to establish an innovative purchasing model and support a public health infrastructure for a test-to-treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) program, thereby improving patient access to comprehensive treatment.

Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Sent a letter to DOJ regarding amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Sent a letter to OMB, advocating for the streamlining of regulations that hinder innovation in public health and safety approaches that could meaningfully impact access to addiction treatment, including: (1) streamlining regulations to increase access to addiction treatment medications; and (2) reducing prescribing barriers that disincentivize clinicians from prescribing addiction treatment medications. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Participated in Congressional briefing on the financial sustainability of addiction treatment services. In coalition with the Mental Health Liaison Group, joined a letter urging members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to pass the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) out of committee. Sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlined three top priorities for the agency's consideration, each of which would have a positive impact on the lives of Americans impacted by addiction. Joined coalition letters to House and Senate leadership urging them to reject the administration's elimination of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and to continue funding CDC projects focused on reducing tobacco use. Joined a coalition letter about certain workforce reductions at HHS, including FDA and CDC, will hurt the country's ability to regulate harmful tobacco products and reduce tobacco use; the letter was to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Joined a coalition letter to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern over the recent decision to terminate the entire membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to ONDCPs request for input, sent a letter with recommendations to remove barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Sent a letter to US Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Chris Van Hollen (MD), expressing strong support for S. 1941- the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, which aims to establish an innovative purchasing model and support a public health infrastructure for a test-to-treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) program, thereby improving patient access to comprehensive treatment.

Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Sent a letter to DOJ regarding amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Sent a letter to OMB, advocating for the streamlining of regulations that hinder innovation in public health and safety approaches that could meaningfully impact access to addiction treatment, including: (1) streamlining regulations to increase access to addiction treatment medications; and (2) reducing prescribing barriers that disincentivize clinicians from prescribing addiction treatment medications. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Participated in Congressional briefing on the financial sustainability of addiction treatment services. In coalition with the Mental Health Liaison Group, joined a letter urging members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to pass the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) out of committee. Sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlined three top priorities for the agency's consideration, each of which would have a positive impact on the lives of Americans impacted by addiction. Joined coalition letters to House and Senate leadership urging them to reject the administration's elimination of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and to continue funding CDC projects focused on reducing tobacco use. Joined a coalition letter about certain workforce reductions at HHS, including FDA and CDC, will hurt the country's ability to regulate harmful tobacco products and reduce tobacco use; the letter was to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Joined a coalition letter to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern over the recent decision to terminate the entire membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to ONDCPs request for input, sent a letter with recommendations to remove barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Sent a letter to US Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Chris Van Hollen (MD), expressing strong support for S. 1941- the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, which aims to establish an innovative purchasing model and support a public health infrastructure for a test-to-treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) program, thereby improving patient access to comprehensive treatment.

Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders, in connection with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Sent a letter to DOJ regarding amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Sent a letter to OMB, advocating for the streamlining of regulations that hinder innovation in public health and safety approaches that could meaningfully impact access to addiction treatment, including: (1) streamlining regulations to increase access to addiction treatment medications; and (2) reducing prescribing barriers that disincentivize clinicians from prescribing addiction treatment medications. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Participated in Congressional briefing on the financial sustainability of addiction treatment services. In coalition with the Mental Health Liaison Group, joined a letter urging members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to pass the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (H.R. 2483) out of committee. Sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that outlined three top priorities for the agency's consideration, each of which would have a positive impact on the lives of Americans impacted by addiction. Joined coalition letters to House and Senate leadership urging them to reject the administration's elimination of the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and to continue funding CDC projects focused on reducing tobacco use. Joined a coalition letter about certain workforce reductions at HHS, including FDA and CDC, will hurt the country's ability to regulate harmful tobacco products and reduce tobacco use; the letter was to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Joined a coalition letter to US Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressing concern over the recent decision to terminate the entire membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In response to ONDCPs request for input, sent a letter with recommendations to remove barriers to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. Sent a letter to US Senators Bill Cassidy (LA) and Chris Van Hollen (MD), expressing strong support for S. 1941- the Cure Hepatitis C Act of 2025, which aims to establish an innovative purchasing model and support a public health infrastructure for a test-to-treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) program, thereby improving patient access to comprehensive treatment.

Submitted comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its calendar year 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule, recommending that CMS: Finalize proposals to limit cost-sharing in MA and Medicare cost plans (cost plans) to no more than the amounts allowed in traditional Medicare in contract year 2026; Collect data on the impact of these cost-sharing limits on plan contracting arrangements with clinicians; Determine whether the proposed cost-sharing limits may be applied to medications to treat addiction; Finalize proposal to ensure MA provider directories are included in the Medicare plan finder by 2026 and be updated on a regular basis; and Finalize proposed updates to regulations governing internal coverage criteria. Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Joined coalition letter to leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations urging them to ensure that final appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to retain their respective oversight authorities over tobacco related products and receive key resources to protect children from such products. Lobbied/sent letter to Congress urging for the inclusion of key amendments to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act (S. 331/HR 27). These amendments would mitigate unintended negative consequences of the bill and encourage further Congressional action to address the demand side of the countrys national addiction and overdose crisis. Joined coalition letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of the bipartisan Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879) in the forthcoming appropriations bill. The bill would put a stop to the latest round of payment cuts and give physicians a two percent payment increase to keep up with the rise in inflation. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Advocated for HR 2586- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported HR 1510 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Sent letter to DEA that underscored ASAM's support for the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter final rule. Sent comment letter to DEA and DOJ regarding the Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations proposed rule. In the comment letter, ASAM provides two key recommendations to improve the rule. This includes recommending that the DEA add another prescribing eligibility category for practitioners who are addiction medicine physicians or board certified in the treatment of addiction. Endorsed the TREATS Act (HR 1627) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes. Endorsed S. 1036, improving access to addiction medicine providers by amending the Public Health Service Act to authorize fellowships under the Minority Fellowship Program to be awarded for training for professionals in the addiction medicine field. Endorsed the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (S 931/ HR 2509), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. Lobbied to raise federal alcohol taxes

Submitted comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its calendar year 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule, recommending that CMS: Finalize proposals to limit cost-sharing in MA and Medicare cost plans (cost plans) to no more than the amounts allowed in traditional Medicare in contract year 2026; Collect data on the impact of these cost-sharing limits on plan contracting arrangements with clinicians; Determine whether the proposed cost-sharing limits may be applied to medications to treat addiction; Finalize proposal to ensure MA provider directories are included in the Medicare plan finder by 2026 and be updated on a regular basis; and Finalize proposed updates to regulations governing internal coverage criteria. Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Joined coalition letter to leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations urging them to ensure that final appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to retain their respective oversight authorities over tobacco related products and receive key resources to protect children from such products. Lobbied/sent letter to Congress urging for the inclusion of key amendments to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act (S. 331/HR 27). These amendments would mitigate unintended negative consequences of the bill and encourage further Congressional action to address the demand side of the countrys national addiction and overdose crisis. Joined coalition letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of the bipartisan Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879) in the forthcoming appropriations bill. The bill would put a stop to the latest round of payment cuts and give physicians a two percent payment increase to keep up with the rise in inflation. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Advocated for HR 2586- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported HR 1510 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Sent letter to DEA that underscored ASAM's support for the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter final rule. Sent comment letter to DEA and DOJ regarding the Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations proposed rule. In the comment letter, ASAM provides two key recommendations to improve the rule. This includes recommending that the DEA add another prescribing eligibility category for practitioners who are addiction medicine physicians or board certified in the treatment of addiction. Endorsed the TREATS Act (HR 1627) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes. Endorsed S. 1036, improving access to addiction medicine providers by amending the Public Health Service Act to authorize fellowships under the Minority Fellowship Program to be awarded for training for professionals in the addiction medicine field. Endorsed the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (S 931/ HR 2509), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. Lobbied to raise federal alcohol taxes

Submitted comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its calendar year 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule, recommending that CMS: Finalize proposals to limit cost-sharing in MA and Medicare cost plans (cost plans) to no more than the amounts allowed in traditional Medicare in contract year 2026; Collect data on the impact of these cost-sharing limits on plan contracting arrangements with clinicians; Determine whether the proposed cost-sharing limits may be applied to medications to treat addiction; Finalize proposal to ensure MA provider directories are included in the Medicare plan finder by 2026 and be updated on a regular basis; and Finalize proposed updates to regulations governing internal coverage criteria. Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Joined coalition letter to leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations urging them to ensure that final appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to retain their respective oversight authorities over tobacco related products and receive key resources to protect children from such products. Lobbied/sent letter to Congress urging for the inclusion of key amendments to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act (S. 331/HR 27). These amendments would mitigate unintended negative consequences of the bill and encourage further Congressional action to address the demand side of the countrys national addiction and overdose crisis. Joined coalition letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of the bipartisan Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879) in the forthcoming appropriations bill. The bill would put a stop to the latest round of payment cuts and give physicians a two percent payment increase to keep up with the rise in inflation. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Advocated for HR 2586- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported HR 1510 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Sent letter to DEA that underscored ASAM's support for the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter final rule. Sent comment letter to DEA and DOJ regarding the Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations proposed rule. In the comment letter, ASAM provides two key recommendations to improve the rule. This includes recommending that the DEA add another prescribing eligibility category for practitioners who are addiction medicine physicians or board certified in the treatment of addiction. Endorsed the TREATS Act (HR 1627) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes. Endorsed S. 1036, improving access to addiction medicine providers by amending the Public Health Service Act to authorize fellowships under the Minority Fellowship Program to be awarded for training for professionals in the addiction medicine field. Endorsed the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (S 931/ HR 2509), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. Lobbied to raise federal alcohol taxes

Submitted comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its calendar year 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule, recommending that CMS: Finalize proposals to limit cost-sharing in MA and Medicare cost plans (cost plans) to no more than the amounts allowed in traditional Medicare in contract year 2026; Collect data on the impact of these cost-sharing limits on plan contracting arrangements with clinicians; Determine whether the proposed cost-sharing limits may be applied to medications to treat addiction; Finalize proposal to ensure MA provider directories are included in the Medicare plan finder by 2026 and be updated on a regular basis; and Finalize proposed updates to regulations governing internal coverage criteria. Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Joined coalition letter to leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations urging them to ensure that final appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to retain their respective oversight authorities over tobacco related products and receive key resources to protect children from such products. Lobbied/sent letter to Congress urging for the inclusion of key amendments to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act (S. 331/HR 27). These amendments would mitigate unintended negative consequences of the bill and encourage further Congressional action to address the demand side of the countrys national addiction and overdose crisis. Joined coalition letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of the bipartisan Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879) in the forthcoming appropriations bill. The bill would put a stop to the latest round of payment cuts and give physicians a two percent payment increase to keep up with the rise in inflation. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Advocated for HR 2586- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported HR 1510 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Sent letter to DEA that underscored ASAM's support for the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter final rule. Sent comment letter to DEA and DOJ regarding the Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations proposed rule. In the comment letter, ASAM provides two key recommendations to improve the rule. This includes recommending that the DEA add another prescribing eligibility category for practitioners who are addiction medicine physicians or board certified in the treatment of addiction. Endorsed the TREATS Act (HR 1627) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes. Endorsed S. 1036, improving access to addiction medicine providers by amending the Public Health Service Act to authorize fellowships under the Minority Fellowship Program to be awarded for training for professionals in the addiction medicine field. Endorsed the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (S 931/ HR 2509), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. Lobbied to raise federal alcohol taxes

Submitted comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its calendar year 2026 Medicare Advantage (MA) and Part D proposed rule, recommending that CMS: Finalize proposals to limit cost-sharing in MA and Medicare cost plans (cost plans) to no more than the amounts allowed in traditional Medicare in contract year 2026; Collect data on the impact of these cost-sharing limits on plan contracting arrangements with clinicians; Determine whether the proposed cost-sharing limits may be applied to medications to treat addiction; Finalize proposal to ensure MA provider directories are included in the Medicare plan finder by 2026 and be updated on a regular basis; and Finalize proposed updates to regulations governing internal coverage criteria. Joined coalition letters/sent letters to/lobbied Congress, urging them to protect Medicaid for individuals with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. Joined coalition letter to leadership of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations urging them to ensure that final appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 allow the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to retain their respective oversight authorities over tobacco related products and receive key resources to protect children from such products. Lobbied/sent letter to Congress urging for the inclusion of key amendments to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act (S. 331/HR 27). These amendments would mitigate unintended negative consequences of the bill and encourage further Congressional action to address the demand side of the countrys national addiction and overdose crisis. Joined coalition letter to House and Senate leadership calling for the inclusion of the bipartisan Medicare Patient Access and Practice Stabilization Act (H.R. 879) in the forthcoming appropriations bill. The bill would put a stop to the latest round of payment cuts and give physicians a two percent payment increase to keep up with the rise in inflation. Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY26 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for amending DEA regulations to allow qualified practitioners to prescribe methadone for OUD for pharmacy administration/dispensing. Advocated for HR 2586- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported HR 1510 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for reintroduction of Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Sent letter to DEA that underscored ASAM's support for the Expansion of Buprenorphine Treatment via Telemedicine Encounter final rule. Sent comment letter to DEA and DOJ regarding the Special Registrations for Telemedicine and Limited State Telemedicine Registrations proposed rule. In the comment letter, ASAM provides two key recommendations to improve the rule. This includes recommending that the DEA add another prescribing eligibility category for practitioners who are addiction medicine physicians or board certified in the treatment of addiction. Endorsed the TREATS Act (HR 1627) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes. Endorsed S. 1036, improving access to addiction medicine providers by amending the Public Health Service Act to authorize fellowships under the Minority Fellowship Program to be awarded for training for professionals in the addiction medicine field. Endorsed the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (S 931/ HR 2509), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. Lobbied to raise federal alcohol taxes

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency. Joined coalition letter urging passage of the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (H.R. 5819/S.1378), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. ASAM joined over 60 organization signatories in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed guidance and templates for parity compliance in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Joined coalition letter encouraging CMS to strengthen the Medicaid parity regulations by aligning them with parity regulations recently finalized for commercial plans. The letter also recommended that CMS amend the templates and guidance documents to more closely align with the federal parity statute and regulations. Joined coalition letter requesting that Congress pass legislation to both prevent the scheduled 2.83 percent Medicare physician payment cut and, critically, provide a positive payment update for 2025.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency. Joined coalition letter urging passage of the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (H.R. 5819/S.1378), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. ASAM joined over 60 organization signatories in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed guidance and templates for parity compliance in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Joined coalition letter encouraging CMS to strengthen the Medicaid parity regulations by aligning them with parity regulations recently finalized for commercial plans. The letter also recommended that CMS amend the templates and guidance documents to more closely align with the federal parity statute and regulations. Joined coalition letter requesting that Congress pass legislation to both prevent the scheduled 2.83 percent Medicare physician payment cut and, critically, provide a positive payment update for 2025.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency. Joined coalition letter urging passage of the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (H.R. 5819/S.1378), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. ASAM joined over 60 organization signatories in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed guidance and templates for parity compliance in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Joined coalition letter encouraging CMS to strengthen the Medicaid parity regulations by aligning them with parity regulations recently finalized for commercial plans. The letter also recommended that CMS amend the templates and guidance documents to more closely align with the federal parity statute and regulations. Joined coalition letter requesting that Congress pass legislation to both prevent the scheduled 2.83 percent Medicare physician payment cut and, critically, provide a positive payment update for 2025.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency. Joined coalition letter urging passage of the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (H.R. 5819/S.1378), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. ASAM joined over 60 organization signatories in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed guidance and templates for parity compliance in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Joined coalition letter encouraging CMS to strengthen the Medicaid parity regulations by aligning them with parity regulations recently finalized for commercial plans. The letter also recommended that CMS amend the templates and guidance documents to more closely align with the federal parity statute and regulations. Joined coalition letter requesting that Congress pass legislation to both prevent the scheduled 2.83 percent Medicare physician payment cut and, critically, provide a positive payment update for 2025.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency. Joined coalition letter urging passage of the Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective (COMPLETE) Care Act (H.R. 5819/S.1378), which would encourage the adoption of integrated delivery models that will make behavioral health services more accessible to patients. It would do this through a temporary increase in Medicare reimbursement rates for integrated care codes. ASAM joined over 60 organization signatories in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding proposed guidance and templates for parity compliance in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Joined coalition letter encouraging CMS to strengthen the Medicaid parity regulations by aligning them with parity regulations recently finalized for commercial plans. The letter also recommended that CMS amend the templates and guidance documents to more closely align with the federal parity statute and regulations. Joined coalition letter requesting that Congress pass legislation to both prevent the scheduled 2.83 percent Medicare physician payment cut and, critically, provide a positive payment update for 2025.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Joined coalition letter recommending that CMS finalize a proposal to narrow Medicares in-custody definition to no longer include individuals on bail, parole, probation, and home detention. Joined coalition letter expressing support of proposed CMS actions to address Conditions of Participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to improve maternal health outcomes. The letter requested that CMS expand the proposals to include substance use-related maternal health needs, recognizing that overdose is now a leading cause of maternal mortality. Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on proposed changes to enhance access to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment. In prepared comments, ASAM recommended revisions to proposed digital mental health treatment codes, adoption of payment/coverage of intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment in standalone settings, and welcomed a proposal to allow people on bail, parole, probation, home detention, or in halfway houses to qualify for Medicare coverage. Submitted comment letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a proposed rule that if finalized, would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Joined coalition letter recommending that CMS finalize a proposal to narrow Medicares in-custody definition to no longer include individuals on bail, parole, probation, and home detention. Joined coalition letter expressing support of proposed CMS actions to address Conditions of Participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to improve maternal health outcomes. The letter requested that CMS expand the proposals to include substance use-related maternal health needs, recognizing that overdose is now a leading cause of maternal mortality. Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on proposed changes to enhance access to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment. In prepared comments, ASAM recommended revisions to proposed digital mental health treatment codes, adoption of payment/coverage of intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment in standalone settings, and welcomed a proposal to allow people on bail, parole, probation, home detention, or in halfway houses to qualify for Medicare coverage. Submitted comment letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a proposed rule that if finalized, would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Joined coalition letter recommending that CMS finalize a proposal to narrow Medicares in-custody definition to no longer include individuals on bail, parole, probation, and home detention. Joined coalition letter expressing support of proposed CMS actions to address Conditions of Participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to improve maternal health outcomes. The letter requested that CMS expand the proposals to include substance use-related maternal health needs, recognizing that overdose is now a leading cause of maternal mortality. Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on proposed changes to enhance access to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment. In prepared comments, ASAM recommended revisions to proposed digital mental health treatment codes, adoption of payment/coverage of intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment in standalone settings, and welcomed a proposal to allow people on bail, parole, probation, home detention, or in halfway houses to qualify for Medicare coverage. Submitted comment letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a proposed rule that if finalized, would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Joined coalition letter recommending that CMS finalize a proposal to narrow Medicares in-custody definition to no longer include individuals on bail, parole, probation, and home detention. Joined coalition letter expressing support of proposed CMS actions to address Conditions of Participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to improve maternal health outcomes. The letter requested that CMS expand the proposals to include substance use-related maternal health needs, recognizing that overdose is now a leading cause of maternal mortality. Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on proposed changes to enhance access to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment. In prepared comments, ASAM recommended revisions to proposed digital mental health treatment codes, adoption of payment/coverage of intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment in standalone settings, and welcomed a proposal to allow people on bail, parole, probation, home detention, or in halfway houses to qualify for Medicare coverage. Submitted comment letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a proposed rule that if finalized, would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R. 9232 / S. 4860). This first-of-its-kind legislation would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs meeting nationally recognized standards, categorized as Level 3.1: Clinically Managed Low-intensity Residential Treatment; Level 3.5: Clinically Managed High-intensity Residential Treatment, and/or Level 3.7: Medically Managed Residential Treatment. It would also establish a prospective payment system for these programs, ensuring that reimbursement for covered residential addiction treatment services is based on pre-determined, fixed amounts. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Supported the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Supported calls for the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Advocated for the finalization of a DOJ/DEA rule to preserve the COVID 19 telemedicine initiation flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD. Joined coalition letter recommending that CMS finalize a proposal to narrow Medicares in-custody definition to no longer include individuals on bail, parole, probation, and home detention. Joined coalition letter expressing support of proposed CMS actions to address Conditions of Participation for hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs) to improve maternal health outcomes. The letter requested that CMS expand the proposals to include substance use-related maternal health needs, recognizing that overdose is now a leading cause of maternal mortality. Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on proposed changes to enhance access to substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health treatment. In prepared comments, ASAM recommended revisions to proposed digital mental health treatment codes, adoption of payment/coverage of intensive outpatient (IOP) treatment in standalone settings, and welcomed a proposal to allow people on bail, parole, probation, home detention, or in halfway houses to qualify for Medicare coverage. Submitted comment letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) on a proposed rule that if finalized, would move marijuana from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to Schedule III. Worked on and supported HR 9886/S 5271, the Broadening Utilization of Proven and Effective Treatment for Recovery Act or the BUPE for Recovery Act, which would require the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to temporarily exempt buprenorphine from the Suspicious Orders Report System (SORS) for the remainder of the opioid public health emergency.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Joined coalition letter opposing any legislation that would bar medical schools from receiving federal funding if they engage in activities such as having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office and/or provide education on structural or institutional racism. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging support of the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Joined a coalition letter requesting clear guidance from the relevant agencies that explicitly states that suspicious order reporting requirements will not be enforced against buprenorphine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OUD until further notice. Joined a coalition letter calling on the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging the House Appropriations Committee's approval of the full authorized level of tobacco user fees, and that they oppose any efforts to weaken or alter the Food and Drug Administration's authority over tobacco products in the appropriations process. Joined a coalition letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve data collection on access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and providers, and to use this data to continue to improve access to SUD treatment in both Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare. The letter asks CMS to collect data on network adequacy, reimbursement rates and practices, utilization management, cost-sharing, and supplemental benefits. Sent a comment letter to HRSA on its draft program guidance regarding justice-involved individuals reentering the community ASAM noted the exclusion of pre-trial detainees from this guidance and called on HRSA rescind the omission. Sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposed rule to implement 200 new residency/fellowship slots by fiscal year 2026. ASAM called on CMS to work with HRSA to revise the mental health health professional shortage area (HPSA) definition and related criterion to include clinicians that specialize in treating SUD. Joined a coalition letter requesting the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalize the 2023 proposed parity regulations. Joined a coalition letter requesting $40 million for the Employee Security Benefits Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DOL) in the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill to review health plans' parity compliance analyses.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Joined coalition letter opposing any legislation that would bar medical schools from receiving federal funding if they engage in activities such as having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office and/or provide education on structural or institutional racism. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging support of the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Joined a coalition letter requesting clear guidance from the relevant agencies that explicitly states that suspicious order reporting requirements will not be enforced against buprenorphine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OUD until further notice. Joined a coalition letter calling on the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging the House Appropriations Committee's approval of the full authorized level of tobacco user fees, and that they oppose any efforts to weaken or alter the Food and Drug Administration's authority over tobacco products in the appropriations process. Joined a coalition letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve data collection on access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and providers, and to use this data to continue to improve access to SUD treatment in both Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare. The letter asks CMS to collect data on network adequacy, reimbursement rates and practices, utilization management, cost-sharing, and supplemental benefits. Sent a comment letter to HRSA on its draft program guidance regarding justice-involved individuals reentering the community ASAM noted the exclusion of pre-trial detainees from this guidance and called on HRSA rescind the omission. Sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposed rule to implement 200 new residency/fellowship slots by fiscal year 2026. ASAM called on CMS to work with HRSA to revise the mental health health professional shortage area (HPSA) definition and related criterion to include clinicians that specialize in treating SUD. Joined a coalition letter requesting the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalize the 2023 proposed parity regulations. Joined a coalition letter requesting $40 million for the Employee Security Benefits Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DOL) in the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill to review health plans' parity compliance analyses.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Joined coalition letter opposing any legislation that would bar medical schools from receiving federal funding if they engage in activities such as having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office and/or provide education on structural or institutional racism. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging support of the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Joined a coalition letter requesting clear guidance from the relevant agencies that explicitly states that suspicious order reporting requirements will not be enforced against buprenorphine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OUD until further notice. Joined a coalition letter calling on the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging the House Appropriations Committee's approval of the full authorized level of tobacco user fees, and that they oppose any efforts to weaken or alter the Food and Drug Administration's authority over tobacco products in the appropriations process. Joined a coalition letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve data collection on access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and providers, and to use this data to continue to improve access to SUD treatment in both Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare. The letter asks CMS to collect data on network adequacy, reimbursement rates and practices, utilization management, cost-sharing, and supplemental benefits. Sent a comment letter to HRSA on its draft program guidance regarding justice-involved individuals reentering the community ASAM noted the exclusion of pre-trial detainees from this guidance and called on HRSA rescind the omission. Sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposed rule to implement 200 new residency/fellowship slots by fiscal year 2026. ASAM called on CMS to work with HRSA to revise the mental health health professional shortage area (HPSA) definition and related criterion to include clinicians that specialize in treating SUD. Joined a coalition letter requesting the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalize the 2023 proposed parity regulations. Joined a coalition letter requesting $40 million for the Employee Security Benefits Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DOL) in the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill to review health plans' parity compliance analyses.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Joined coalition letter opposing any legislation that would bar medical schools from receiving federal funding if they engage in activities such as having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office and/or provide education on structural or institutional racism. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging support of the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Joined a coalition letter requesting clear guidance from the relevant agencies that explicitly states that suspicious order reporting requirements will not be enforced against buprenorphine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OUD until further notice. Joined a coalition letter calling on the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging the House Appropriations Committee's approval of the full authorized level of tobacco user fees, and that they oppose any efforts to weaken or alter the Food and Drug Administration's authority over tobacco products in the appropriations process. Joined a coalition letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve data collection on access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and providers, and to use this data to continue to improve access to SUD treatment in both Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare. The letter asks CMS to collect data on network adequacy, reimbursement rates and practices, utilization management, cost-sharing, and supplemental benefits. Sent a comment letter to HRSA on its draft program guidance regarding justice-involved individuals reentering the community ASAM noted the exclusion of pre-trial detainees from this guidance and called on HRSA rescind the omission. Sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposed rule to implement 200 new residency/fellowship slots by fiscal year 2026. ASAM called on CMS to work with HRSA to revise the mental health health professional shortage area (HPSA) definition and related criterion to include clinicians that specialize in treating SUD. Joined a coalition letter requesting the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalize the 2023 proposed parity regulations. Joined a coalition letter requesting $40 million for the Employee Security Benefits Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DOL) in the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill to review health plans' parity compliance analyses.

Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M). Advocated for at least $10.5 billion for HRSA programs in the FY 2025 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Joined coalition letter opposing any legislation that would bar medical schools from receiving federal funding if they engage in activities such as having a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) office and/or provide education on structural or institutional racism. Advocated for passage of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act of 2024, with a recommendation that the Senate include additional monetary incentives in the bill for physicians training as addiction specialists. Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging support of the Medicaid Bump Act of 2024 (H.R. 4892/S. 3921). This legislation would incentivize states to expand coverage of mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90 percent. Joined a coalition letter requesting clear guidance from the relevant agencies that explicitly states that suspicious order reporting requirements will not be enforced against buprenorphine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for OUD until further notice. Joined a coalition letter calling on the Biden Administration to rescind a $75 'cap' per patient per budget year on incentives in contingency management for treating stimulant use disorder. Joined a coalition letter urging the House Appropriations Committee's approval of the full authorized level of tobacco user fees, and that they oppose any efforts to weaken or alter the Food and Drug Administration's authority over tobacco products in the appropriations process. Joined a coalition letter urging the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to improve data collection on access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and providers, and to use this data to continue to improve access to SUD treatment in both Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare. The letter asks CMS to collect data on network adequacy, reimbursement rates and practices, utilization management, cost-sharing, and supplemental benefits. Sent a comment letter to HRSA on its draft program guidance regarding justice-involved individuals reentering the community ASAM noted the exclusion of pre-trial detainees from this guidance and called on HRSA rescind the omission. Sent a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding a proposed rule to implement 200 new residency/fellowship slots by fiscal year 2026. ASAM called on CMS to work with HRSA to revise the mental health health professional shortage area (HPSA) definition and related criterion to include clinicians that specialize in treating SUD. Joined a coalition letter requesting the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and Treasury finalize the 2023 proposed parity regulations. Joined a coalition letter requesting $40 million for the Employee Security Benefits Administration (EBSA) within the Department of Labor (DOL) in the FY 2025 Labor-Health and Human Services (HHS) appropriations bill to review health plans' parity compliance analyses.

Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its recent rules proposing policy changes in 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. ASAM joined coalition letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to change Medicare's custody definition to permit coverage for older adults and people with disabilities who are living in the community after incarceration or have other history with the criminal legal system. ASAM sent a letter to Senators Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito with several other organizations, advocating the Senators oppose the addition of any language that would prohibit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) from funding any research related to harm reduction in the Statement of Managers accompanying the Conference Agreement on the Fiscal 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. ASAM signed a letter sent to the House sponsors of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Act of 2024. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. ASAM joined more than 120 organizations in a statement urging the Biden Administration to finalize federal rules to eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its recent rules proposing policy changes in 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. ASAM joined coalition letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to change Medicare's custody definition to permit coverage for older adults and people with disabilities who are living in the community after incarceration or have other history with the criminal legal system. ASAM sent a letter to Senators Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito with several other organizations, advocating the Senators oppose the addition of any language that would prohibit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) from funding any research related to harm reduction in the Statement of Managers accompanying the Conference Agreement on the Fiscal 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. ASAM signed a letter sent to the House sponsors of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Act of 2024. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. ASAM joined more than 120 organizations in a statement urging the Biden Administration to finalize federal rules to eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its recent rules proposing policy changes in 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. ASAM joined coalition letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to change Medicare's custody definition to permit coverage for older adults and people with disabilities who are living in the community after incarceration or have other history with the criminal legal system. ASAM sent a letter to Senators Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito with several other organizations, advocating the Senators oppose the addition of any language that would prohibit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) from funding any research related to harm reduction in the Statement of Managers accompanying the Conference Agreement on the Fiscal 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. ASAM signed a letter sent to the House sponsors of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Act of 2024. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. ASAM joined more than 120 organizations in a statement urging the Biden Administration to finalize federal rules to eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its recent rules proposing policy changes in 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. ASAM joined coalition letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to change Medicare's custody definition to permit coverage for older adults and people with disabilities who are living in the community after incarceration or have other history with the criminal legal system. ASAM sent a letter to Senators Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito with several other organizations, advocating the Senators oppose the addition of any language that would prohibit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) from funding any research related to harm reduction in the Statement of Managers accompanying the Conference Agreement on the Fiscal 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. ASAM signed a letter sent to the House sponsors of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Act of 2024. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. ASAM joined more than 120 organizations in a statement urging the Biden Administration to finalize federal rules to eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 and FY25 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Advocated for draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) regarding its recent rules proposing policy changes in 2025 Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. ASAM joined coalition letter asking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to change Medicare's custody definition to permit coverage for older adults and people with disabilities who are living in the community after incarceration or have other history with the criminal legal system. ASAM sent a letter to Senators Tammy Baldwin and Shelley Moore Capito with several other organizations, advocating the Senators oppose the addition of any language that would prohibit the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) from funding any research related to harm reduction in the Statement of Managers accompanying the Conference Agreement on the Fiscal 2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. ASAM signed a letter sent to the House sponsors of H.R. 7050 - the Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Act of 2024. Suggested additional regulatory changes to SAMHSA related to opioid treatment programs and the provision of methadone for opioid use disorder. ASAM joined more than 120 organizations in a statement urging the Biden Administration to finalize federal rules to eliminate menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. ASAM joined others in a letter urging Congress to quickly pass legislation to stop another impending round of Medicare payment cuts impacting physicians. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder. ASAM sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, supporting the inclusion of the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3479/S.1753) in the 2023 Farm Bill. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM provided comments to the proposed rule, Requirements Related To the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service ("2023 Proposed Rule"), as well as comments concerning a related technical release.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. ASAM joined others in a letter urging Congress to quickly pass legislation to stop another impending round of Medicare payment cuts impacting physicians. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder. ASAM sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, supporting the inclusion of the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3479/S.1753) in the 2023 Farm Bill. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM provided comments to the proposed rule, Requirements Related To the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service ("2023 Proposed Rule"), as well as comments concerning a related technical release.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. ASAM joined others in a letter urging Congress to quickly pass legislation to stop another impending round of Medicare payment cuts impacting physicians. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder. ASAM sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, supporting the inclusion of the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3479/S.1753) in the 2023 Farm Bill. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM provided comments to the proposed rule, Requirements Related To the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service ("2023 Proposed Rule"), as well as comments concerning a related technical release.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. ASAM joined others in a letter urging Congress to quickly pass legislation to stop another impending round of Medicare payment cuts impacting physicians. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder. ASAM sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, supporting the inclusion of the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3479/S.1753) in the 2023 Farm Bill. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM provided comments to the proposed rule, Requirements Related To the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service ("2023 Proposed Rule"), as well as comments concerning a related technical release.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393). Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported H.R.5163/S. 3193 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. ASAM joined others in a letter urging Congress to quickly pass legislation to stop another impending round of Medicare payment cuts impacting physicians. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder. ASAM sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Agriculture and the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, supporting the inclusion of the Re-Entry Support Through Opportunities for Resources and Essentials (RESTORE) Act of 2023 (H.R. 3479/S.1753) in the 2023 Farm Bill. Advocated for S. 3145 - the Improving Access to Addiction Medicine Providers Act, legislation that would modernize the SAMHSA's Minority Fellowship Program (MFP) by amending the Public Health Service Act to include the field of addiction medicine in MFP. ASAM provided comments to the proposed rule, Requirements Related To the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, promulgated by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Employee Benefits Security Administration, and Internal Revenue Service ("2023 Proposed Rule"), as well as comments concerning a related technical release.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. ASAM signed a letter in support of S. 1378, Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective Act (the "COMPLETE Act"), which would advance collaborative care models. ASAM signed a letter sent by a broad coalition of health care clinicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders, urging Congressional leaders to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposal to implement a Medicare billing code, known as G2211, in 2024. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2024 MPFS and OPPS rules, encouraging CMS to finalize many new Medicare proposals, with several modifications. ASAM joined several other organizations in a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability opposing the U.S. Shipping Equity Act (H.R. 3721) that would allow the U.S. Post Office (USPS) to ship beverage alcohol. ASAM signed a letter supporting the Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act (H.R. 4775), which would ensure Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to all evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, including seven Food and Drug Administration-approved medications. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported S 2919 - Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test Strips for Communities Act (ALERT Communities Act) to help expand access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a critical tool to help lower overdose deaths. Supported HR 5506 - Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act, which would require Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, before they are discharged, at zero cost to the patient. Supported H.R.5163 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Supported S.3006 - SAFE in Recovery Act, which would ensure comprehensive wraparound services for families impacted by substance use disorders. Advocated for reforms to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act related to pregnant women who take medications for substance use disorder. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. ASAM signed a letter in support of S. 1378, Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective Act (the "COMPLETE Act"), which would advance collaborative care models. ASAM signed a letter sent by a broad coalition of health care clinicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders, urging Congressional leaders to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposal to implement a Medicare billing code, known as G2211, in 2024. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2024 MPFS and OPPS rules, encouraging CMS to finalize many new Medicare proposals, with several modifications. ASAM joined several other organizations in a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability opposing the U.S. Shipping Equity Act (H.R. 3721) that would allow the U.S. Post Office (USPS) to ship beverage alcohol. ASAM signed a letter supporting the Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act (H.R. 4775), which would ensure Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to all evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, including seven Food and Drug Administration-approved medications. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported S 2919 - Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test Strips for Communities Act (ALERT Communities Act) to help expand access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a critical tool to help lower overdose deaths. Supported HR 5506 - Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act, which would require Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, before they are discharged, at zero cost to the patient. Supported H.R.5163 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Supported S.3006 - SAFE in Recovery Act, which would ensure comprehensive wraparound services for families impacted by substance use disorders. Advocated for reforms to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act related to pregnant women who take medications for substance use disorder. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. ASAM signed a letter in support of S. 1378, Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective Act (the "COMPLETE Act"), which would advance collaborative care models. ASAM signed a letter sent by a broad coalition of health care clinicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders, urging Congressional leaders to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposal to implement a Medicare billing code, known as G2211, in 2024. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2024 MPFS and OPPS rules, encouraging CMS to finalize many new Medicare proposals, with several modifications. ASAM joined several other organizations in a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability opposing the U.S. Shipping Equity Act (H.R. 3721) that would allow the U.S. Post Office (USPS) to ship beverage alcohol. ASAM signed a letter supporting the Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act (H.R. 4775), which would ensure Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to all evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, including seven Food and Drug Administration-approved medications. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported S 2919 - Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test Strips for Communities Act (ALERT Communities Act) to help expand access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a critical tool to help lower overdose deaths. Supported HR 5506 - Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act, which would require Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, before they are discharged, at zero cost to the patient. Supported H.R.5163 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Supported S.3006 - SAFE in Recovery Act, which would ensure comprehensive wraparound services for families impacted by substance use disorders. Advocated for reforms to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act related to pregnant women who take medications for substance use disorder. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. ASAM signed a letter in support of S. 1378, Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective Act (the "COMPLETE Act"), which would advance collaborative care models. ASAM signed a letter sent by a broad coalition of health care clinicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders, urging Congressional leaders to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposal to implement a Medicare billing code, known as G2211, in 2024. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2024 MPFS and OPPS rules, encouraging CMS to finalize many new Medicare proposals, with several modifications. ASAM joined several other organizations in a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability opposing the U.S. Shipping Equity Act (H.R. 3721) that would allow the U.S. Post Office (USPS) to ship beverage alcohol. ASAM signed a letter supporting the Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act (H.R. 4775), which would ensure Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to all evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, including seven Food and Drug Administration-approved medications. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported S 2919 - Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test Strips for Communities Act (ALERT Communities Act) to help expand access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a critical tool to help lower overdose deaths. Supported HR 5506 - Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act, which would require Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, before they are discharged, at zero cost to the patient. Supported H.R.5163 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Supported S.3006 - SAFE in Recovery Act, which would ensure comprehensive wraparound services for families impacted by substance use disorders. Advocated for reforms to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act related to pregnant women who take medications for substance use disorder. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes. ASAM signed a letter in support of S. 1378, Connecting Our Medical Providers with Links to Expand Tailored and Effective Act (the "COMPLETE Act"), which would advance collaborative care models. ASAM signed a letter sent by a broad coalition of health care clinicians, patient advocates, and other stakeholders, urging Congressional leaders to support the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' (CMS) proposal to implement a Medicare billing code, known as G2211, in 2024. ASAM submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2024 MPFS and OPPS rules, encouraging CMS to finalize many new Medicare proposals, with several modifications. ASAM joined several other organizations in a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability opposing the U.S. Shipping Equity Act (H.R. 3721) that would allow the U.S. Post Office (USPS) to ship beverage alcohol. ASAM signed a letter supporting the Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act (H.R. 4775), which would ensure Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to all evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments, including seven Food and Drug Administration-approved medications. Advocated for DEA related clarifications or changes to registration requirements related to the delivery of injectable buprenorphine. Supported S 2919 - Advancing Lifesaving Efforts with Rapid Test Strips for Communities Act (ALERT Communities Act) to help expand access to fentanyl and xylazine test strips, a critical tool to help lower overdose deaths. Supported HR 5506 - Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act, which would require Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, before they are discharged, at zero cost to the patient. Supported H.R.5163 - Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services Act, which would amend the Controlled Substances Act to allow for the use of telehealth in substance use disorder treatment. Supported S.3006 - SAFE in Recovery Act, which would ensure comprehensive wraparound services for families impacted by substance use disorders. Advocated for reforms to the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act related to pregnant women who take medications for substance use disorder. Advocated for continued telemedicine flexibilities related to medications for substance use disorder.

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Joined coalition letter supporting S 923 - the Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act of 2023, which would expand the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act's (MHPAEA) protections to Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and all of Medicaid; improve accuracy of provider directories for Medicare Advantage plans that in part combat "ghost networks;" address the longstanding problems on inadequate reimbursement rates for mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services in Medicare and Medicaid, including for integrated services; integrate MH/SUD care into primary care by increasing reimbursement and addressing cost-sharing; support the establishment of a Medicaid demonstration project for integrated mental health care for children in settings like schools, pediatric primary care practices, and community organizations; and require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to align payments, measure access and quality, improve prevention services for mental health care, and bring together payers to transform behavioral health within primary care. Joined coalition letter of support of S. 1302 - the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which would expand the physician workforce and ensuring patients' access to quality care, as an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 primary care and specialty physicians in America is expected by 2034. This legislation would gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 for seven years, and a share such positions would be targeted to hospitals with diverse needs, including those in rural areas and that serve patients from health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Joined coalition letter in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations of $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Joined coalition letter in opposition to the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (H.R. 824), which would have allowed employers to offer workers stand-alone telehealth benefits, potentially eroding comprehensive MH/SUD coverage and creating additional barriers for individuals to receive treatment. Joined coalition letter urging appropriators to approve the full authorized level of tobacco user fees and oppose any efforts to weaken or alter FDAs authority over tobacco products through the appropriations process. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Joined coalition letter supporting S 923 - the Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act of 2023, which would expand the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act's (MHPAEA) protections to Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and all of Medicaid; improve accuracy of provider directories for Medicare Advantage plans that in part combat "ghost networks;" address the longstanding problems on inadequate reimbursement rates for mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services in Medicare and Medicaid, including for integrated services; integrate MH/SUD care into primary care by increasing reimbursement and addressing cost-sharing; support the establishment of a Medicaid demonstration project for integrated mental health care for children in settings like schools, pediatric primary care practices, and community organizations; and require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to align payments, measure access and quality, improve prevention services for mental health care, and bring together payers to transform behavioral health within primary care. Joined coalition letter of support of S. 1302 - the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which would expand the physician workforce and ensuring patients' access to quality care, as an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 primary care and specialty physicians in America is expected by 2034. This legislation would gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 for seven years, and a share such positions would be targeted to hospitals with diverse needs, including those in rural areas and that serve patients from health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Joined coalition letter in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations of $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Joined coalition letter in opposition to the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (H.R. 824), which would have allowed employers to offer workers stand-alone telehealth benefits, potentially eroding comprehensive MH/SUD coverage and creating additional barriers for individuals to receive treatment. Joined coalition letter urging appropriators to approve the full authorized level of tobacco user fees and oppose any efforts to weaken or alter FDAs authority over tobacco products through the appropriations process. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Joined coalition letter supporting S 923 - the Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act of 2023, which would expand the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act's (MHPAEA) protections to Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and all of Medicaid; improve accuracy of provider directories for Medicare Advantage plans that in part combat "ghost networks;" address the longstanding problems on inadequate reimbursement rates for mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services in Medicare and Medicaid, including for integrated services; integrate MH/SUD care into primary care by increasing reimbursement and addressing cost-sharing; support the establishment of a Medicaid demonstration project for integrated mental health care for children in settings like schools, pediatric primary care practices, and community organizations; and require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to align payments, measure access and quality, improve prevention services for mental health care, and bring together payers to transform behavioral health within primary care. Joined coalition letter of support of S. 1302 - the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which would expand the physician workforce and ensuring patients' access to quality care, as an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 primary care and specialty physicians in America is expected by 2034. This legislation would gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 for seven years, and a share such positions would be targeted to hospitals with diverse needs, including those in rural areas and that serve patients from health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Joined coalition letter in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations of $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Joined coalition letter in opposition to the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (H.R. 824), which would have allowed employers to offer workers stand-alone telehealth benefits, potentially eroding comprehensive MH/SUD coverage and creating additional barriers for individuals to receive treatment. Joined coalition letter urging appropriators to approve the full authorized level of tobacco user fees and oppose any efforts to weaken or alter FDAs authority over tobacco products through the appropriations process. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Joined coalition letter supporting S 923 - the Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act of 2023, which would expand the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act's (MHPAEA) protections to Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and all of Medicaid; improve accuracy of provider directories for Medicare Advantage plans that in part combat "ghost networks;" address the longstanding problems on inadequate reimbursement rates for mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services in Medicare and Medicaid, including for integrated services; integrate MH/SUD care into primary care by increasing reimbursement and addressing cost-sharing; support the establishment of a Medicaid demonstration project for integrated mental health care for children in settings like schools, pediatric primary care practices, and community organizations; and require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to align payments, measure access and quality, improve prevention services for mental health care, and bring together payers to transform behavioral health within primary care. Joined coalition letter of support of S. 1302 - the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which would expand the physician workforce and ensuring patients' access to quality care, as an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 primary care and specialty physicians in America is expected by 2034. This legislation would gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 for seven years, and a share such positions would be targeted to hospitals with diverse needs, including those in rural areas and that serve patients from health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Joined coalition letter in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations of $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Joined coalition letter in opposition to the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (H.R. 824), which would have allowed employers to offer workers stand-alone telehealth benefits, potentially eroding comprehensive MH/SUD coverage and creating additional barriers for individuals to receive treatment. Joined coalition letter urging appropriators to approve the full authorized level of tobacco user fees and oppose any efforts to weaken or alter FDAs authority over tobacco products through the appropriations process. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for S. 1165/ HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Advocated for HR 3074/S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Advocated for removal of a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Advocated for various substance use disorder workforce and coverage policy changes, including some of which appear in H.R. 4531, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. Joined coalition letter supporting S 923 - the Better Mental Health Care for Americans Act of 2023, which would expand the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act's (MHPAEA) protections to Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and all of Medicaid; improve accuracy of provider directories for Medicare Advantage plans that in part combat "ghost networks;" address the longstanding problems on inadequate reimbursement rates for mental health/substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services in Medicare and Medicaid, including for integrated services; integrate MH/SUD care into primary care by increasing reimbursement and addressing cost-sharing; support the establishment of a Medicaid demonstration project for integrated mental health care for children in settings like schools, pediatric primary care practices, and community organizations; and require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to align payments, measure access and quality, improve prevention services for mental health care, and bring together payers to transform behavioral health within primary care. Joined coalition letter of support of S. 1302 - the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023, which would expand the physician workforce and ensuring patients' access to quality care, as an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 primary care and specialty physicians in America is expected by 2034. This legislation would gradually raise the number of Medicare-supported GME positions by 2,000 for seven years, and a share such positions would be targeted to hospitals with diverse needs, including those in rural areas and that serve patients from health professional shortage areas (HPSAs). Joined coalition letter in support of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 appropriations of $35 million for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), $25 million for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and $1 million for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to conduct public health research into firearm morbidity and mortality prevention. Joined coalition letter in opposition to the Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2023 (H.R. 824), which would have allowed employers to offer workers stand-alone telehealth benefits, potentially eroding comprehensive MH/SUD coverage and creating additional barriers for individuals to receive treatment. Joined coalition letter urging appropriators to approve the full authorized level of tobacco user fees and oppose any efforts to weaken or alter FDAs authority over tobacco products through the appropriations process. Advocated for certain annual increases for Medicare office based SUD bundled codes

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Joined coalition letters supporting increased FY24 funding for a variety of other SUD-related programs in FY24 at HRSA, SAMHSA, and CDC Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for changes to proposed 42 CFR Part 8 rule governing methadone for opioid use disorder Provided recommendations for the 2024 biennial national drug control strategy in a letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ASAM suggested inclusion in the 2024 strategy, a call for the decoupling criminal penalties and personal drug use possession, implemented as part of a carefully designed set of public health and legal reforms that include strategic, social investments to strengthen American communities and improve lives. Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Joined letter asking Congress to remove a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Joined letter in support for legislation to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. Provided comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraging CMS to address the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule's (MPFS) physician payment methodology challenges in the next release of the MPFS in 2024. Sent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Offices of the Secretary and Civil Rights, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), to provide comments on proposed modifications to 42 CFR Part 2 ("Part 2"), applauding policy efforts to further align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, recommending that HHS conduct a study of the impact of full alignment with HIPAA on the access, availability, and quality of SUD services, coupled with strengthened HIPAA protections against uses, disclosures, or redisclosures of SUD and other medical records outside the healthcare system, and cautioning the final rule make it clear, on a consistent basis, that Part 2 records may not be used, disclosed, or redisclosed for civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against the patient in the absence of a court order or a specific, written patient consent for that purpose. Submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program for the 2024 plan year. In the letter, ASAM applauded CMS' proposals to strengthen beneficiaries' access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including proposals that address MA plans' crippling utilization management (UM) policies. ASAM urged CMS to finalize its proposals that limit the use of prior authorization (PA) to its utility in medical necessity determinations, require MA plans to institute UM review committees, and ensure sufficient training, experience and credentials in addiction care for those involved in the UM review process. ASAM also urged CMS to make additional changes surrounding MA plans' use of PA and recommended CMS finalize, with modifications, its update to MA plan network adequacy requirements to address the needs of people with substance use disorder (SUD).

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Joined coalition letters supporting increased FY24 funding for a variety of other SUD-related programs in FY24 at HRSA, SAMHSA, and CDC Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for changes to proposed 42 CFR Part 8 rule governing methadone for opioid use disorder Provided recommendations for the 2024 biennial national drug control strategy in a letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ASAM suggested inclusion in the 2024 strategy, a call for the decoupling criminal penalties and personal drug use possession, implemented as part of a carefully designed set of public health and legal reforms that include strategic, social investments to strengthen American communities and improve lives. Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Joined letter asking Congress to remove a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Joined letter in support for legislation to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. Provided comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraging CMS to address the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule's (MPFS) physician payment methodology challenges in the next release of the MPFS in 2024. Sent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Offices of the Secretary and Civil Rights, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), to provide comments on proposed modifications to 42 CFR Part 2 ("Part 2"), applauding policy efforts to further align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, recommending that HHS conduct a study of the impact of full alignment with HIPAA on the access, availability, and quality of SUD services, coupled with strengthened HIPAA protections against uses, disclosures, or redisclosures of SUD and other medical records outside the healthcare system, and cautioning the final rule make it clear, on a consistent basis, that Part 2 records may not be used, disclosed, or redisclosed for civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against the patient in the absence of a court order or a specific, written patient consent for that purpose. Submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program for the 2024 plan year. In the letter, ASAM applauded CMS' proposals to strengthen beneficiaries' access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including proposals that address MA plans' crippling utilization management (UM) policies. ASAM urged CMS to finalize its proposals that limit the use of prior authorization (PA) to its utility in medical necessity determinations, require MA plans to institute UM review committees, and ensure sufficient training, experience and credentials in addiction care for those involved in the UM review process. ASAM also urged CMS to make additional changes surrounding MA plans' use of PA and recommended CMS finalize, with modifications, its update to MA plan network adequacy requirements to address the needs of people with substance use disorder (SUD).

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Joined coalition letters supporting increased FY24 funding for a variety of other SUD-related programs in FY24 at HRSA, SAMHSA, and CDC Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for changes to proposed 42 CFR Part 8 rule governing methadone for opioid use disorder Provided recommendations for the 2024 biennial national drug control strategy in a letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ASAM suggested inclusion in the 2024 strategy, a call for the decoupling criminal penalties and personal drug use possession, implemented as part of a carefully designed set of public health and legal reforms that include strategic, social investments to strengthen American communities and improve lives. Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Joined letter asking Congress to remove a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Joined letter in support for legislation to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. Provided comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraging CMS to address the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule's (MPFS) physician payment methodology challenges in the next release of the MPFS in 2024. Sent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Offices of the Secretary and Civil Rights, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), to provide comments on proposed modifications to 42 CFR Part 2 ("Part 2"), applauding policy efforts to further align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, recommending that HHS conduct a study of the impact of full alignment with HIPAA on the access, availability, and quality of SUD services, coupled with strengthened HIPAA protections against uses, disclosures, or redisclosures of SUD and other medical records outside the healthcare system, and cautioning the final rule make it clear, on a consistent basis, that Part 2 records may not be used, disclosed, or redisclosed for civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against the patient in the absence of a court order or a specific, written patient consent for that purpose. Submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program for the 2024 plan year. In the letter, ASAM applauded CMS' proposals to strengthen beneficiaries' access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including proposals that address MA plans' crippling utilization management (UM) policies. ASAM urged CMS to finalize its proposals that limit the use of prior authorization (PA) to its utility in medical necessity determinations, require MA plans to institute UM review committees, and ensure sufficient training, experience and credentials in addiction care for those involved in the UM review process. ASAM also urged CMS to make additional changes surrounding MA plans' use of PA and recommended CMS finalize, with modifications, its update to MA plan network adequacy requirements to address the needs of people with substance use disorder (SUD).

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Joined coalition letters supporting increased FY24 funding for a variety of other SUD-related programs in FY24 at HRSA, SAMHSA, and CDC Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for changes to proposed 42 CFR Part 8 rule governing methadone for opioid use disorder Provided recommendations for the 2024 biennial national drug control strategy in a letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ASAM suggested inclusion in the 2024 strategy, a call for the decoupling criminal penalties and personal drug use possession, implemented as part of a carefully designed set of public health and legal reforms that include strategic, social investments to strengthen American communities and improve lives. Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Joined letter asking Congress to remove a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Joined letter in support for legislation to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. Provided comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraging CMS to address the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule's (MPFS) physician payment methodology challenges in the next release of the MPFS in 2024. Sent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Offices of the Secretary and Civil Rights, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), to provide comments on proposed modifications to 42 CFR Part 2 ("Part 2"), applauding policy efforts to further align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, recommending that HHS conduct a study of the impact of full alignment with HIPAA on the access, availability, and quality of SUD services, coupled with strengthened HIPAA protections against uses, disclosures, or redisclosures of SUD and other medical records outside the healthcare system, and cautioning the final rule make it clear, on a consistent basis, that Part 2 records may not be used, disclosed, or redisclosed for civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against the patient in the absence of a court order or a specific, written patient consent for that purpose. Submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program for the 2024 plan year. In the letter, ASAM applauded CMS' proposals to strengthen beneficiaries' access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including proposals that address MA plans' crippling utilization management (UM) policies. ASAM urged CMS to finalize its proposals that limit the use of prior authorization (PA) to its utility in medical necessity determinations, require MA plans to institute UM review committees, and ensure sufficient training, experience and credentials in addiction care for those involved in the UM review process. ASAM also urged CMS to make additional changes surrounding MA plans' use of PA and recommended CMS finalize, with modifications, its update to MA plan network adequacy requirements to address the needs of people with substance use disorder (SUD).

Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program ($30M) Advocated for increased FY24 funding for HRSA's Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program ($50M) Joined coalition letters supporting increased FY24 funding for a variety of other SUD-related programs in FY24 at HRSA, SAMHSA, and CDC Advocated for (S. 644/H.R. 1359) the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act, which would allow specially registered opioid treatment program clinicians and addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD that can be picked up from pharmacies, subject to federal regulation or guidance on supply of methadone for unsupervised use. Advocated for HR 2400- the Reentry Act, which would allow states to provide Medicaid coverage to eligible individuals up to 30 days prior to release from incarceration Supported S.971 - Due Process Continuity of Care Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the Medicaid coverage exclusion for inmates in custody pending disposition of charges, and for other purposes. Worked on draft legislation that would provide Medicare coverage for evidence-based residential SUD services Worked on draft legislation that would make permanent a state plan amendment option related to Medicaid's IMD exclusion Supported H.R.1502 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023, in its entirety Advocated for removal of in-person evaluation requirement in proposed telemedicine rules by the DEA and worked on related draft legislation Advocated for changes to proposed 42 CFR Part 8 rule governing methadone for opioid use disorder Provided recommendations for the 2024 biennial national drug control strategy in a letter to the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). ASAM suggested inclusion in the 2024 strategy, a call for the decoupling criminal penalties and personal drug use possession, implemented as part of a carefully designed set of public health and legal reforms that include strategic, social investments to strengthen American communities and improve lives. Opposed proposed changes to the STAR-LRP program in S.462 - the Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2023 Joined letter asking Congress to remove a lifetime ban that prevents individuals convicted of a drug felony from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families TANF) as part of the next Farm Bill. Joined letter in support for legislation to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. Provided comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) encouraging CMS to address the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule's (MPFS) physician payment methodology challenges in the next release of the MPFS in 2024. Sent letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Offices of the Secretary and Civil Rights, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA), to provide comments on proposed modifications to 42 CFR Part 2 ("Part 2"), applauding policy efforts to further align Part 2 with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, recommending that HHS conduct a study of the impact of full alignment with HIPAA on the access, availability, and quality of SUD services, coupled with strengthened HIPAA protections against uses, disclosures, or redisclosures of SUD and other medical records outside the healthcare system, and cautioning the final rule make it clear, on a consistent basis, that Part 2 records may not be used, disclosed, or redisclosed for civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceedings against the patient in the absence of a court order or a specific, written patient consent for that purpose. Submitted comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on its proposed rule regarding changes to the Medicare Advantage (MA) program for the 2024 plan year. In the letter, ASAM applauded CMS' proposals to strengthen beneficiaries' access to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), including proposals that address MA plans' crippling utilization management (UM) policies. ASAM urged CMS to finalize its proposals that limit the use of prior authorization (PA) to its utility in medical necessity determinations, require MA plans to institute UM review committees, and ensure sufficient training, experience and credentials in addiction care for those involved in the UM review process. ASAM also urged CMS to make additional changes surrounding MA plans' use of PA and recommended CMS finalize, with modifications, its update to MA plan network adequacy requirements to address the needs of people with substance use disorder (SUD).

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S.2697/H.R.6636 - the Due Process Continuity of Care Act: This legislation would amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy to allow these otherwise eligible individuals to receive their full Medicaid benefits while incarcerated at the option of the state. Advocated for the DEA and SAMHSA to grant continued telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD during the national public health emergency declared in response to the opioid crisis and work to make those telehealth flexibilities permanent, as appropriate, based on findings of further studies. Advocated for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to clear policy barriers to sustainable implementation of contingency management (CM) interventions. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for issuance of a NPRM regarding further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA, as called for by the CARES Act. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements and inclusion of S. 1927, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment (CAPTA) Reauthorization Act of 2021, in an end-of-the-year legislative package. ASAM joined a letter addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, urging the committees to fund the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office of Smoking and Health (OSH) at $261.5 million, as was delineated in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees Chairmans mark from July 2022 ASAM submitted comments in a letter to the U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), containing policy recommendations for inclusion in a possible Senate mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) legislative package. The comments were based on HR 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which has already passed the U.S. House on a bipartisan basis. The letter voices ASAM's support for many provisions of the Restoring Hope Act, that would, among other things, reauthorize key Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs to address the national MH and SUD crisis. ASAM joined a letter to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in response to the committees Enhancing the Mental Health Workforce discussion draft. The letter thanks the committee for its ongoing efforts to address the MH and SUD workforce crisis and makes several key recommendations. The letters recommendations focus on two key areas: (1) clarifications to the bills language to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or no co-occurring MH condition can access the critical services they need and (2) resolving other barriers that prevent the MH and SUD workforce from meeting its full potential. ASAM joined a letter to SAMHSA supporting continuation of the PCSS program

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S.2697/H.R.6636 - the Due Process Continuity of Care Act: This legislation would amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy to allow these otherwise eligible individuals to receive their full Medicaid benefits while incarcerated at the option of the state. Advocated for the DEA and SAMHSA to grant continued telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD during the national public health emergency declared in response to the opioid crisis and work to make those telehealth flexibilities permanent, as appropriate, based on findings of further studies. Advocated for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to clear policy barriers to sustainable implementation of contingency management (CM) interventions. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for issuance of a NPRM regarding further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA, as called for by the CARES Act. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements and inclusion of S. 1927, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment (CAPTA) Reauthorization Act of 2021, in an end-of-the-year legislative package. ASAM joined a letter addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, urging the committees to fund the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office of Smoking and Health (OSH) at $261.5 million, as was delineated in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees Chairmans mark from July 2022 ASAM submitted comments in a letter to the U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), containing policy recommendations for inclusion in a possible Senate mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) legislative package. The comments were based on HR 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which has already passed the U.S. House on a bipartisan basis. The letter voices ASAM's support for many provisions of the Restoring Hope Act, that would, among other things, reauthorize key Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs to address the national MH and SUD crisis. ASAM joined a letter to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in response to the committees Enhancing the Mental Health Workforce discussion draft. The letter thanks the committee for its ongoing efforts to address the MH and SUD workforce crisis and makes several key recommendations. The letters recommendations focus on two key areas: (1) clarifications to the bills language to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or no co-occurring MH condition can access the critical services they need and (2) resolving other barriers that prevent the MH and SUD workforce from meeting its full potential. ASAM joined a letter to SAMHSA supporting continuation of the PCSS program

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S.2697/H.R.6636 - the Due Process Continuity of Care Act: This legislation would amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy to allow these otherwise eligible individuals to receive their full Medicaid benefits while incarcerated at the option of the state. Advocated for the DEA and SAMHSA to grant continued telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD during the national public health emergency declared in response to the opioid crisis and work to make those telehealth flexibilities permanent, as appropriate, based on findings of further studies. Advocated for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to clear policy barriers to sustainable implementation of contingency management (CM) interventions. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for issuance of a NPRM regarding further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA, as called for by the CARES Act. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements and inclusion of S. 1927, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment (CAPTA) Reauthorization Act of 2021, in an end-of-the-year legislative package. ASAM joined a letter addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, urging the committees to fund the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office of Smoking and Health (OSH) at $261.5 million, as was delineated in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees Chairmans mark from July 2022 ASAM submitted comments in a letter to the U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), containing policy recommendations for inclusion in a possible Senate mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) legislative package. The comments were based on HR 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which has already passed the U.S. House on a bipartisan basis. The letter voices ASAM's support for many provisions of the Restoring Hope Act, that would, among other things, reauthorize key Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs to address the national MH and SUD crisis. ASAM joined a letter to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in response to the committees Enhancing the Mental Health Workforce discussion draft. The letter thanks the committee for its ongoing efforts to address the MH and SUD workforce crisis and makes several key recommendations. The letters recommendations focus on two key areas: (1) clarifications to the bills language to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or no co-occurring MH condition can access the critical services they need and (2) resolving other barriers that prevent the MH and SUD workforce from meeting its full potential. ASAM joined a letter to SAMHSA supporting continuation of the PCSS program

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S.2697/H.R.6636 - the Due Process Continuity of Care Act: This legislation would amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy to allow these otherwise eligible individuals to receive their full Medicaid benefits while incarcerated at the option of the state. Advocated for the DEA and SAMHSA to grant continued telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD during the national public health emergency declared in response to the opioid crisis and work to make those telehealth flexibilities permanent, as appropriate, based on findings of further studies. Advocated for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to clear policy barriers to sustainable implementation of contingency management (CM) interventions. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for issuance of a NPRM regarding further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA, as called for by the CARES Act. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements and inclusion of S. 1927, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment (CAPTA) Reauthorization Act of 2021, in an end-of-the-year legislative package. ASAM joined a letter addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, urging the committees to fund the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office of Smoking and Health (OSH) at $261.5 million, as was delineated in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees Chairmans mark from July 2022 ASAM submitted comments in a letter to the U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), containing policy recommendations for inclusion in a possible Senate mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) legislative package. The comments were based on HR 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which has already passed the U.S. House on a bipartisan basis. The letter voices ASAM's support for many provisions of the Restoring Hope Act, that would, among other things, reauthorize key Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs to address the national MH and SUD crisis. ASAM joined a letter to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in response to the committees Enhancing the Mental Health Workforce discussion draft. The letter thanks the committee for its ongoing efforts to address the MH and SUD workforce crisis and makes several key recommendations. The letters recommendations focus on two key areas: (1) clarifications to the bills language to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or no co-occurring MH condition can access the critical services they need and (2) resolving other barriers that prevent the MH and SUD workforce from meeting its full potential. ASAM joined a letter to SAMHSA supporting continuation of the PCSS program

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S.2697/H.R.6636 - the Due Process Continuity of Care Act: This legislation would amend the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion Policy to allow these otherwise eligible individuals to receive their full Medicaid benefits while incarcerated at the option of the state. Advocated for the DEA and SAMHSA to grant continued telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine for OUD during the national public health emergency declared in response to the opioid crisis and work to make those telehealth flexibilities permanent, as appropriate, based on findings of further studies. Advocated for the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to clear policy barriers to sustainable implementation of contingency management (CM) interventions. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for issuance of a NPRM regarding further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 with HIPAA, as called for by the CARES Act. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements and inclusion of S. 1927, the Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment (CAPTA) Reauthorization Act of 2021, in an end-of-the-year legislative package. ASAM joined a letter addressed to the Chairs and Ranking Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House Committees on Appropriations, urging the committees to fund the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Office of Smoking and Health (OSH) at $261.5 million, as was delineated in the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committees Chairmans mark from July 2022 ASAM submitted comments in a letter to the U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr, Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), containing policy recommendations for inclusion in a possible Senate mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) legislative package. The comments were based on HR 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which has already passed the U.S. House on a bipartisan basis. The letter voices ASAM's support for many provisions of the Restoring Hope Act, that would, among other things, reauthorize key Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) programs to address the national MH and SUD crisis. ASAM joined a letter to the U.S. Senate Finance Committee in response to the committees Enhancing the Mental Health Workforce discussion draft. The letter thanks the committee for its ongoing efforts to address the MH and SUD workforce crisis and makes several key recommendations. The letters recommendations focus on two key areas: (1) clarifications to the bills language to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or no co-occurring MH condition can access the critical services they need and (2) resolving other barriers that prevent the MH and SUD workforce from meeting its full potential. ASAM joined a letter to SAMHSA supporting continuation of the PCSS program

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for legislation that would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. ASAM wrote a letter to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee regarding the Committees markup of worker and family support and health legislation aimed to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care under Medicare. ASAM requested several, specific clarifications to be made to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or with no co-occurring mental health condition can access critical SUD services under Medicare. ASAM wrote a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) covering revisions to opioid treatment program (OTP) services, a proposal to establish physician payment for the management of chronic pain, and a request for information on intensive outpatient (IOP) services, among other items. ASAM joined a coalition of public health, medical, and professional organizations in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), supporting its intention to issue a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine level in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. ASAM joined a letter addressed to Senator Schumer, requesting support of civil monetary penalty authority for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to enforce the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). ASAM joined a letter to Congressional leadership regarding additional investments in the health care workforce, in particular Medicare-supported GME. ASAM joined a letter to Senate HELP leadership requesting support for funding to enhance the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), which integrates behavioral health with primary care. Specifically, the letter recommended inclusion of bipartisan language found in Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301 of H.R. 7666 that provides grants to primary care to implement the CoCM. ASAM joined a letter to HHS, supporting the elevating of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response into a separate division, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and urging proactive steps to integrate mental health and substance use throughout the operations of ASPR. ASAM joined a letter to CMS, providing input on the Conditions of Participation for Rural Emergency Hospitals and recommending that CMS increase access to evidence-based treatment by clarifying in the Conditions of Participation that emergency departments operated by Rural Emergency Hospitals must meet the existing standard of care when treating patients with an opioid use disorder. ASAM joined a letter to bill sponsors supporting S. 4472, the Health Care Capacity for Pediatric Mental Health Act, which would make investments in mental health and substance use disorder care for kids and teens while providing support to the pediatric health professionals who serve. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for release of implementation rules regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for legislation that would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. ASAM wrote a letter to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee regarding the Committees markup of worker and family support and health legislation aimed to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care under Medicare. ASAM requested several, specific clarifications to be made to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or with no co-occurring mental health condition can access critical SUD services under Medicare. ASAM wrote a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) covering revisions to opioid treatment program (OTP) services, a proposal to establish physician payment for the management of chronic pain, and a request for information on intensive outpatient (IOP) services, among other items. ASAM joined a coalition of public health, medical, and professional organizations in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), supporting its intention to issue a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine level in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. ASAM joined a letter addressed to Senator Schumer, requesting support of civil monetary penalty authority for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to enforce the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). ASAM joined a letter to Congressional leadership regarding additional investments in the health care workforce, in particular Medicare-supported GME. ASAM joined a letter to Senate HELP leadership requesting support for funding to enhance the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), which integrates behavioral health with primary care. Specifically, the letter recommended inclusion of bipartisan language found in Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301 of H.R. 7666 that provides grants to primary care to implement the CoCM. ASAM joined a letter to HHS, supporting the elevating of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response into a separate division, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and urging proactive steps to integrate mental health and substance use throughout the operations of ASPR. ASAM joined a letter to CMS, providing input on the Conditions of Participation for Rural Emergency Hospitals and recommending that CMS increase access to evidence-based treatment by clarifying in the Conditions of Participation that emergency departments operated by Rural Emergency Hospitals must meet the existing standard of care when treating patients with an opioid use disorder. ASAM joined a letter to bill sponsors supporting S. 4472, the Health Care Capacity for Pediatric Mental Health Act, which would make investments in mental health and substance use disorder care for kids and teens while providing support to the pediatric health professionals who serve. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for release of implementation rules regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for legislation that would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. ASAM wrote a letter to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee regarding the Committees markup of worker and family support and health legislation aimed to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care under Medicare. ASAM requested several, specific clarifications to be made to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or with no co-occurring mental health condition can access critical SUD services under Medicare. ASAM wrote a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) covering revisions to opioid treatment program (OTP) services, a proposal to establish physician payment for the management of chronic pain, and a request for information on intensive outpatient (IOP) services, among other items. ASAM joined a coalition of public health, medical, and professional organizations in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), supporting its intention to issue a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine level in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. ASAM joined a letter addressed to Senator Schumer, requesting support of civil monetary penalty authority for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to enforce the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). ASAM joined a letter to Congressional leadership regarding additional investments in the health care workforce, in particular Medicare-supported GME. ASAM joined a letter to Senate HELP leadership requesting support for funding to enhance the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), which integrates behavioral health with primary care. Specifically, the letter recommended inclusion of bipartisan language found in Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301 of H.R. 7666 that provides grants to primary care to implement the CoCM. ASAM joined a letter to HHS, supporting the elevating of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response into a separate division, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and urging proactive steps to integrate mental health and substance use throughout the operations of ASPR. ASAM joined a letter to CMS, providing input on the Conditions of Participation for Rural Emergency Hospitals and recommending that CMS increase access to evidence-based treatment by clarifying in the Conditions of Participation that emergency departments operated by Rural Emergency Hospitals must meet the existing standard of care when treating patients with an opioid use disorder. ASAM joined a letter to bill sponsors supporting S. 4472, the Health Care Capacity for Pediatric Mental Health Act, which would make investments in mental health and substance use disorder care for kids and teens while providing support to the pediatric health professionals who serve. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for release of implementation rules regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for legislation that would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. ASAM wrote a letter to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee regarding the Committees markup of worker and family support and health legislation aimed to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care under Medicare. ASAM requested several, specific clarifications to be made to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or with no co-occurring mental health condition can access critical SUD services under Medicare. ASAM wrote a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) covering revisions to opioid treatment program (OTP) services, a proposal to establish physician payment for the management of chronic pain, and a request for information on intensive outpatient (IOP) services, among other items. ASAM joined a coalition of public health, medical, and professional organizations in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), supporting its intention to issue a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine level in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. ASAM joined a letter addressed to Senator Schumer, requesting support of civil monetary penalty authority for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to enforce the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). ASAM joined a letter to Congressional leadership regarding additional investments in the health care workforce, in particular Medicare-supported GME. ASAM joined a letter to Senate HELP leadership requesting support for funding to enhance the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), which integrates behavioral health with primary care. Specifically, the letter recommended inclusion of bipartisan language found in Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301 of H.R. 7666 that provides grants to primary care to implement the CoCM. ASAM joined a letter to HHS, supporting the elevating of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response into a separate division, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and urging proactive steps to integrate mental health and substance use throughout the operations of ASPR. ASAM joined a letter to CMS, providing input on the Conditions of Participation for Rural Emergency Hospitals and recommending that CMS increase access to evidence-based treatment by clarifying in the Conditions of Participation that emergency departments operated by Rural Emergency Hospitals must meet the existing standard of care when treating patients with an opioid use disorder. ASAM joined a letter to bill sponsors supporting S. 4472, the Health Care Capacity for Pediatric Mental Health Act, which would make investments in mental health and substance use disorder care for kids and teens while providing support to the pediatric health professionals who serve. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for release of implementation rules regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for HR 1364/S.4804 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. Advocated for legislation that would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. ASAM wrote a letter to the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee regarding the Committees markup of worker and family support and health legislation aimed to expand access to mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) care under Medicare. ASAM requested several, specific clarifications to be made to ensure that Medicare beneficiaries with a primary diagnosis of SUD or with no co-occurring mental health condition can access critical SUD services under Medicare. ASAM wrote a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the proposed 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS) covering revisions to opioid treatment program (OTP) services, a proposal to establish physician payment for the management of chronic pain, and a request for information on intensive outpatient (IOP) services, among other items. ASAM joined a coalition of public health, medical, and professional organizations in a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), supporting its intention to issue a proposed rule to reduce the nicotine level in cigarettes to non-addictive or minimally addictive levels. ASAM joined a letter addressed to Senator Schumer, requesting support of civil monetary penalty authority for the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) to enforce the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA). ASAM joined a letter to Congressional leadership regarding additional investments in the health care workforce, in particular Medicare-supported GME. ASAM joined a letter to Senate HELP leadership requesting support for funding to enhance the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), which integrates behavioral health with primary care. Specifically, the letter recommended inclusion of bipartisan language found in Title III, Subtitle A, Section 301 of H.R. 7666 that provides grants to primary care to implement the CoCM. ASAM joined a letter to HHS, supporting the elevating of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response into a separate division, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and urging proactive steps to integrate mental health and substance use throughout the operations of ASPR. ASAM joined a letter to CMS, providing input on the Conditions of Participation for Rural Emergency Hospitals and recommending that CMS increase access to evidence-based treatment by clarifying in the Conditions of Participation that emergency departments operated by Rural Emergency Hospitals must meet the existing standard of care when treating patients with an opioid use disorder. ASAM joined a letter to bill sponsors supporting S. 4472, the Health Care Capacity for Pediatric Mental Health Act, which would make investments in mental health and substance use disorder care for kids and teens while providing support to the pediatric health professionals who serve. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for release of implementation rules regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for H.R.7803 - Michelle Alyssa Go Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes. Advocated for use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant and acceptance of Medicaid by treatment grantees. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Advocated for closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements. Advocated for stronger network adequacy requirements for OTPS and addiction specialist physicians under Medicare Advantage Plans On April 4, ASAM and stakeholders sent a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee in support the "Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022," under consideration at the Committee's April 5 hearing. The organizations asked the Committee to support the legislation that phases out "parity opt-outs" among self-funded state and local health plans. On May 10th, ASAM sent a letter to leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on H.R. 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (the Act), in advance of the Subcommittee on Healths legislative mark-up session on May 11th. In its letter, ASAM advocates for reducing complex barriers to addiction treatment, including eliminating the one-year requirement that an individual have an addiction to opioids to begin methadone treatment at an opioid treatment program (OTP), supporting provisions inspired by the Opioid Treatment Access Act (OTAA) - including revising who can determine the stability of a patient for take-homes to include a medical practitioner appropriately licensed by the State to prescribe or dispense controlled medications, - and codifying recent mobile methadone regulations into law. In its letter, ASAM also advocates for increased funding to support HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program; adding addiction medicine to SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program grants, and adding addiction specialists to HRSAs Pediatric Mental Health Care Access grants. The letter concludes with a call for adding the MATE and MAT Acts to the Act. The MATE Act would condition the federal DEA registration to prescribe controlled medications on a one-time, flexible education requirement on the treatment of patients with substance use disorder. The MAT Act would eliminate the DATA 2000-waiver, a barrier to broader uptake of treatment for OUD with buprenorphine, a life-saving medication. On April 1, ASAM joined a coalition letter to the Department of Labor and HHS expressing concern about a recent decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that threatens to have devastating effects on Americans ability to access medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services covered by commercial health plans and requesting that the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services file an amicus brief in this case to support en banc review before the entire Ninth Circuit. On May 11th, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter to U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership praising Section 321 of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which would sunset the ability of self-funded, non-federal governmental health care plans to opt-out of protections provided by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. On June 3, ASAM joined a large coalition of public health, harm reduction, HIV, and hepatitis organizations in sending a letter urging Congress to appropriate $150 million in fiscal year 2023 towards the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Infectious Diseases and Opioid Epidemic Program. This letter garnered support from 334 organizations from all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and may be the largest display of support from community stakeholders for lifesaving harm reduction services and for ending the ban on the use of certain federal funding for syringes. On June 14th, ASAM joined a coalition letter regarding the FY 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, urging House appropriators not to include provisions that would weaken FDAs authority over tobacco products. On June 27th, ASAM joined a Coalition of Whole Health letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, supporting a proposed Medicare rule that would establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals formerly incarcerated and exempt those who enroll under the SEP from a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) and urging CMS to revise its current definition of in custody for Medicare to be consistent with the definition CMS uses for Medicaid.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for H.R.7803 - Michelle Alyssa Go Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes. Advocated for use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant and acceptance of Medicaid by treatment grantees. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Advocated for closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements. Advocated for stronger network adequacy requirements for OTPS and addiction specialist physicians under Medicare Advantage Plans On April 4, ASAM and stakeholders sent a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee in support the "Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022," under consideration at the Committee's April 5 hearing. The organizations asked the Committee to support the legislation that phases out "parity opt-outs" among self-funded state and local health plans. On May 10th, ASAM sent a letter to leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on H.R. 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (the Act), in advance of the Subcommittee on Healths legislative mark-up session on May 11th. In its letter, ASAM advocates for reducing complex barriers to addiction treatment, including eliminating the one-year requirement that an individual have an addiction to opioids to begin methadone treatment at an opioid treatment program (OTP), supporting provisions inspired by the Opioid Treatment Access Act (OTAA) - including revising who can determine the stability of a patient for take-homes to include a medical practitioner appropriately licensed by the State to prescribe or dispense controlled medications, - and codifying recent mobile methadone regulations into law. In its letter, ASAM also advocates for increased funding to support HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program; adding addiction medicine to SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program grants, and adding addiction specialists to HRSAs Pediatric Mental Health Care Access grants. The letter concludes with a call for adding the MATE and MAT Acts to the Act. The MATE Act would condition the federal DEA registration to prescribe controlled medications on a one-time, flexible education requirement on the treatment of patients with substance use disorder. The MAT Act would eliminate the DATA 2000-waiver, a barrier to broader uptake of treatment for OUD with buprenorphine, a life-saving medication. On April 1, ASAM joined a coalition letter to the Department of Labor and HHS expressing concern about a recent decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that threatens to have devastating effects on Americans ability to access medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services covered by commercial health plans and requesting that the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services file an amicus brief in this case to support en banc review before the entire Ninth Circuit. On May 11th, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter to U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership praising Section 321 of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which would sunset the ability of self-funded, non-federal governmental health care plans to opt-out of protections provided by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. On June 3, ASAM joined a large coalition of public health, harm reduction, HIV, and hepatitis organizations in sending a letter urging Congress to appropriate $150 million in fiscal year 2023 towards the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Infectious Diseases and Opioid Epidemic Program. This letter garnered support from 334 organizations from all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and may be the largest display of support from community stakeholders for lifesaving harm reduction services and for ending the ban on the use of certain federal funding for syringes. On June 14th, ASAM joined a coalition letter regarding the FY 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, urging House appropriators not to include provisions that would weaken FDAs authority over tobacco products. On June 27th, ASAM joined a Coalition of Whole Health letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, supporting a proposed Medicare rule that would establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals formerly incarcerated and exempt those who enroll under the SEP from a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) and urging CMS to revise its current definition of in custody for Medicare to be consistent with the definition CMS uses for Medicaid.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for H.R.7803 - Michelle Alyssa Go Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes. Advocated for use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant and acceptance of Medicaid by treatment grantees. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Advocated for closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements. Advocated for stronger network adequacy requirements for OTPS and addiction specialist physicians under Medicare Advantage Plans On April 4, ASAM and stakeholders sent a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee in support the "Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022," under consideration at the Committee's April 5 hearing. The organizations asked the Committee to support the legislation that phases out "parity opt-outs" among self-funded state and local health plans. On May 10th, ASAM sent a letter to leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on H.R. 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (the Act), in advance of the Subcommittee on Healths legislative mark-up session on May 11th. In its letter, ASAM advocates for reducing complex barriers to addiction treatment, including eliminating the one-year requirement that an individual have an addiction to opioids to begin methadone treatment at an opioid treatment program (OTP), supporting provisions inspired by the Opioid Treatment Access Act (OTAA) - including revising who can determine the stability of a patient for take-homes to include a medical practitioner appropriately licensed by the State to prescribe or dispense controlled medications, - and codifying recent mobile methadone regulations into law. In its letter, ASAM also advocates for increased funding to support HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program; adding addiction medicine to SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program grants, and adding addiction specialists to HRSAs Pediatric Mental Health Care Access grants. The letter concludes with a call for adding the MATE and MAT Acts to the Act. The MATE Act would condition the federal DEA registration to prescribe controlled medications on a one-time, flexible education requirement on the treatment of patients with substance use disorder. The MAT Act would eliminate the DATA 2000-waiver, a barrier to broader uptake of treatment for OUD with buprenorphine, a life-saving medication. On April 1, ASAM joined a coalition letter to the Department of Labor and HHS expressing concern about a recent decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that threatens to have devastating effects on Americans ability to access medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services covered by commercial health plans and requesting that the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services file an amicus brief in this case to support en banc review before the entire Ninth Circuit. On May 11th, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter to U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership praising Section 321 of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which would sunset the ability of self-funded, non-federal governmental health care plans to opt-out of protections provided by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. On June 3, ASAM joined a large coalition of public health, harm reduction, HIV, and hepatitis organizations in sending a letter urging Congress to appropriate $150 million in fiscal year 2023 towards the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Infectious Diseases and Opioid Epidemic Program. This letter garnered support from 334 organizations from all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and may be the largest display of support from community stakeholders for lifesaving harm reduction services and for ending the ban on the use of certain federal funding for syringes. On June 14th, ASAM joined a coalition letter regarding the FY 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, urging House appropriators not to include provisions that would weaken FDAs authority over tobacco products. On June 27th, ASAM joined a Coalition of Whole Health letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, supporting a proposed Medicare rule that would establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals formerly incarcerated and exempt those who enroll under the SEP from a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) and urging CMS to revise its current definition of in custody for Medicare to be consistent with the definition CMS uses for Medicaid.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for H.R.7803 - Michelle Alyssa Go Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes. Advocated for use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant and acceptance of Medicaid by treatment grantees. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Advocated for closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements. Advocated for stronger network adequacy requirements for OTPS and addiction specialist physicians under Medicare Advantage Plans On April 4, ASAM and stakeholders sent a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee in support the "Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022," under consideration at the Committee's April 5 hearing. The organizations asked the Committee to support the legislation that phases out "parity opt-outs" among self-funded state and local health plans. On May 10th, ASAM sent a letter to leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on H.R. 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (the Act), in advance of the Subcommittee on Healths legislative mark-up session on May 11th. In its letter, ASAM advocates for reducing complex barriers to addiction treatment, including eliminating the one-year requirement that an individual have an addiction to opioids to begin methadone treatment at an opioid treatment program (OTP), supporting provisions inspired by the Opioid Treatment Access Act (OTAA) - including revising who can determine the stability of a patient for take-homes to include a medical practitioner appropriately licensed by the State to prescribe or dispense controlled medications, - and codifying recent mobile methadone regulations into law. In its letter, ASAM also advocates for increased funding to support HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program; adding addiction medicine to SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program grants, and adding addiction specialists to HRSAs Pediatric Mental Health Care Access grants. The letter concludes with a call for adding the MATE and MAT Acts to the Act. The MATE Act would condition the federal DEA registration to prescribe controlled medications on a one-time, flexible education requirement on the treatment of patients with substance use disorder. The MAT Act would eliminate the DATA 2000-waiver, a barrier to broader uptake of treatment for OUD with buprenorphine, a life-saving medication. On April 1, ASAM joined a coalition letter to the Department of Labor and HHS expressing concern about a recent decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that threatens to have devastating effects on Americans ability to access medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services covered by commercial health plans and requesting that the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services file an amicus brief in this case to support en banc review before the entire Ninth Circuit. On May 11th, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter to U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership praising Section 321 of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which would sunset the ability of self-funded, non-federal governmental health care plans to opt-out of protections provided by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. On June 3, ASAM joined a large coalition of public health, harm reduction, HIV, and hepatitis organizations in sending a letter urging Congress to appropriate $150 million in fiscal year 2023 towards the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Infectious Diseases and Opioid Epidemic Program. This letter garnered support from 334 organizations from all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and may be the largest display of support from community stakeholders for lifesaving harm reduction services and for ending the ban on the use of certain federal funding for syringes. On June 14th, ASAM joined a coalition letter regarding the FY 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, urging House appropriators not to include provisions that would weaken FDAs authority over tobacco products. On June 27th, ASAM joined a Coalition of Whole Health letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, supporting a proposed Medicare rule that would establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals formerly incarcerated and exempt those who enroll under the SEP from a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) and urging CMS to revise its current definition of in custody for Medicare to be consistent with the definition CMS uses for Medicaid.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for H.R.7803 - Michelle Alyssa Go Act, which would amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to remove the exclusion from medical assistance under the Medicaid program of items and services for patients in an institution for mental diseases, and for other purposes. Advocated for use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant and acceptance of Medicaid by treatment grantees. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Advocated for closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Advocated for federal agency guidance on CAPTA reporting vs. notification requirements. Advocated for stronger network adequacy requirements for OTPS and addiction specialist physicians under Medicare Advantage Plans On April 4, ASAM and stakeholders sent a letter to the House Energy & Commerce Committee in support the "Mental Health Justice and Parity Act of 2022," under consideration at the Committee's April 5 hearing. The organizations asked the Committee to support the legislation that phases out "parity opt-outs" among self-funded state and local health plans. On May 10th, ASAM sent a letter to leadership of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce on H.R. 7666 - the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022 (the Act), in advance of the Subcommittee on Healths legislative mark-up session on May 11th. In its letter, ASAM advocates for reducing complex barriers to addiction treatment, including eliminating the one-year requirement that an individual have an addiction to opioids to begin methadone treatment at an opioid treatment program (OTP), supporting provisions inspired by the Opioid Treatment Access Act (OTAA) - including revising who can determine the stability of a patient for take-homes to include a medical practitioner appropriately licensed by the State to prescribe or dispense controlled medications, - and codifying recent mobile methadone regulations into law. In its letter, ASAM also advocates for increased funding to support HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program; adding addiction medicine to SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program grants, and adding addiction specialists to HRSAs Pediatric Mental Health Care Access grants. The letter concludes with a call for adding the MATE and MAT Acts to the Act. The MATE Act would condition the federal DEA registration to prescribe controlled medications on a one-time, flexible education requirement on the treatment of patients with substance use disorder. The MAT Act would eliminate the DATA 2000-waiver, a barrier to broader uptake of treatment for OUD with buprenorphine, a life-saving medication. On April 1, ASAM joined a coalition letter to the Department of Labor and HHS expressing concern about a recent decision from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that threatens to have devastating effects on Americans ability to access medically necessary mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) services covered by commercial health plans and requesting that the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services file an amicus brief in this case to support en banc review before the entire Ninth Circuit. On May 11th, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter to U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee leadership praising Section 321 of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which would sunset the ability of self-funded, non-federal governmental health care plans to opt-out of protections provided by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. On June 3, ASAM joined a large coalition of public health, harm reduction, HIV, and hepatitis organizations in sending a letter urging Congress to appropriate $150 million in fiscal year 2023 towards the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) Infectious Diseases and Opioid Epidemic Program. This letter garnered support from 334 organizations from all fifty states, DC, and Puerto Rico, and may be the largest display of support from community stakeholders for lifesaving harm reduction services and for ending the ban on the use of certain federal funding for syringes. On June 14th, ASAM joined a coalition letter regarding the FY 2023 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, urging House appropriators not to include provisions that would weaken FDAs authority over tobacco products. On June 27th, ASAM joined a Coalition of Whole Health letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure and Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, supporting a proposed Medicare rule that would establish a special enrollment period (SEP) for individuals formerly incarcerated and exempt those who enroll under the SEP from a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP) and urging CMS to revise its current definition of in custody for Medicare to be consistent with the definition CMS uses for Medicaid.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education ASAM and ten other health professional associations have called for the FDA to immediately and fully retract its buprenorphine Drug Safety Communication of January 12, 2022. In their letter, the signatories maintain that the communication is based on flawed analysis. As part of the National Alliance for Underage Drinking, ASAM sent a letter to Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Joyce, and Representative DeLauro in support of reauthorization of the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP Act). First passed by Congress in 2006 and later reauthorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, the STOP Act aims to reduce underage age drinking through a comprehensive approach comprised of cost-effective, evidence-based strategies. On January 26th, ASAM submitted a comment letter to CMSs proposed rule Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (the NBPP 2023 Rule). In its letter, ASAM supports, among other things: reinterpretation of the ACAs guaranteed availability requirement; the new interpretation would require issuers to enroll individuals with past-due premiums; reversion to pre-2020 non-discrimination protections that would prohibit certain exchanges, insurers, and agents and brokers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity; ensuring nondiscriminatory benefit design through refining the EHB nondiscrimination policy, providing a clear regulatory framework to evaluate plan benefit design and implementation based upon clinical guidelines and evidence; and requirements that issuers offer at least one standardized plan at every product network type, metal level, and in every service area where the issuer also offers non-standardized plans and that standardized plans use fixed copays instead of coinsurance. The letter also documents ASAMs general support for proposals related to network adequacy regulations, with recommendations for further refinement. On March 22, 2022, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter, spearheaded by former Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, to the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, Samantha Power. The letter urges mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) be integrated in the U.S. - Ukraine relief efforts, and that the U.S. coordinate with multilateral health organizations and the World Health Organization to address mental health and SUDs caused and exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine. ASAM joined a coalition letter to urge Congress to respond to a new and growing threat to our nations youth: e-cigarette manufacturers use of synthetic nicotine to evade Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. Specifically, the letter urges Congress to quickly address this serious public health situation by enacting legislation at the earliest possible opportunity that enables FDAs Center for Tobacco Products to regulate synthetic nicotine products. ASAM joined a coalition letter to express support for the Food and Drug Administrations commitment to issuing proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars. Once issued, the letter urges FDA to move quickly to finalize and implement these life-saving rules. ASAM joined a coalition letter supporting the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022, which would address critical issues of maternal mental health and well-being. ASAM joined a coalition letter urging Congress to support increased funding of important addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs aimed at strengthening the addiction service workforce in Fiscal Year 2023. Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Supported HR 7246/S 3940 - the Student Athlete Opioid Misuse Prevention Act which would establish a grant program through SAMHSA to provide educational and training at the youth, high school, and collegiate level for students and student athletes themselves, as well as athletic directors, youth sports coaches and organizers, school administrators, and others on the signs and dangers of opioid and substance misuse, and strategies for prevention. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Supported H.R.7116- the 9-8-8 Implementation Act which would provide resources needed to improve the nations mental health/substance use crisis system.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education ASAM and ten other health professional associations have called for the FDA to immediately and fully retract its buprenorphine Drug Safety Communication of January 12, 2022. In their letter, the signatories maintain that the communication is based on flawed analysis. As part of the National Alliance for Underage Drinking, ASAM sent a letter to Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Joyce, and Representative DeLauro in support of reauthorization of the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP Act). First passed by Congress in 2006 and later reauthorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, the STOP Act aims to reduce underage age drinking through a comprehensive approach comprised of cost-effective, evidence-based strategies. On January 26th, ASAM submitted a comment letter to CMSs proposed rule Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (the NBPP 2023 Rule). In its letter, ASAM supports, among other things: reinterpretation of the ACAs guaranteed availability requirement; the new interpretation would require issuers to enroll individuals with past-due premiums; reversion to pre-2020 non-discrimination protections that would prohibit certain exchanges, insurers, and agents and brokers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity; ensuring nondiscriminatory benefit design through refining the EHB nondiscrimination policy, providing a clear regulatory framework to evaluate plan benefit design and implementation based upon clinical guidelines and evidence; and requirements that issuers offer at least one standardized plan at every product network type, metal level, and in every service area where the issuer also offers non-standardized plans and that standardized plans use fixed copays instead of coinsurance. The letter also documents ASAMs general support for proposals related to network adequacy regulations, with recommendations for further refinement. On March 22, 2022, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter, spearheaded by former Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, to the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, Samantha Power. The letter urges mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) be integrated in the U.S. - Ukraine relief efforts, and that the U.S. coordinate with multilateral health organizations and the World Health Organization to address mental health and SUDs caused and exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine. ASAM joined a coalition letter to urge Congress to respond to a new and growing threat to our nations youth: e-cigarette manufacturers use of synthetic nicotine to evade Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. Specifically, the letter urges Congress to quickly address this serious public health situation by enacting legislation at the earliest possible opportunity that enables FDAs Center for Tobacco Products to regulate synthetic nicotine products. ASAM joined a coalition letter to express support for the Food and Drug Administrations commitment to issuing proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars. Once issued, the letter urges FDA to move quickly to finalize and implement these life-saving rules. ASAM joined a coalition letter supporting the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022, which would address critical issues of maternal mental health and well-being. ASAM joined a coalition letter urging Congress to support increased funding of important addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs aimed at strengthening the addiction service workforce in Fiscal Year 2023. Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Supported HR 7246/S 3940 - the Student Athlete Opioid Misuse Prevention Act which would establish a grant program through SAMHSA to provide educational and training at the youth, high school, and collegiate level for students and student athletes themselves, as well as athletic directors, youth sports coaches and organizers, school administrators, and others on the signs and dangers of opioid and substance misuse, and strategies for prevention. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Supported H.R.7116- the 9-8-8 Implementation Act which would provide resources needed to improve the nations mental health/substance use crisis system.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education ASAM and ten other health professional associations have called for the FDA to immediately and fully retract its buprenorphine Drug Safety Communication of January 12, 2022. In their letter, the signatories maintain that the communication is based on flawed analysis. As part of the National Alliance for Underage Drinking, ASAM sent a letter to Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Joyce, and Representative DeLauro in support of reauthorization of the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP Act). First passed by Congress in 2006 and later reauthorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, the STOP Act aims to reduce underage age drinking through a comprehensive approach comprised of cost-effective, evidence-based strategies. On January 26th, ASAM submitted a comment letter to CMSs proposed rule Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (the NBPP 2023 Rule). In its letter, ASAM supports, among other things: reinterpretation of the ACAs guaranteed availability requirement; the new interpretation would require issuers to enroll individuals with past-due premiums; reversion to pre-2020 non-discrimination protections that would prohibit certain exchanges, insurers, and agents and brokers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity; ensuring nondiscriminatory benefit design through refining the EHB nondiscrimination policy, providing a clear regulatory framework to evaluate plan benefit design and implementation based upon clinical guidelines and evidence; and requirements that issuers offer at least one standardized plan at every product network type, metal level, and in every service area where the issuer also offers non-standardized plans and that standardized plans use fixed copays instead of coinsurance. The letter also documents ASAMs general support for proposals related to network adequacy regulations, with recommendations for further refinement. On March 22, 2022, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter, spearheaded by former Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, to the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, Samantha Power. The letter urges mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) be integrated in the U.S. - Ukraine relief efforts, and that the U.S. coordinate with multilateral health organizations and the World Health Organization to address mental health and SUDs caused and exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine. ASAM joined a coalition letter to urge Congress to respond to a new and growing threat to our nations youth: e-cigarette manufacturers use of synthetic nicotine to evade Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. Specifically, the letter urges Congress to quickly address this serious public health situation by enacting legislation at the earliest possible opportunity that enables FDAs Center for Tobacco Products to regulate synthetic nicotine products. ASAM joined a coalition letter to express support for the Food and Drug Administrations commitment to issuing proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars. Once issued, the letter urges FDA to move quickly to finalize and implement these life-saving rules. ASAM joined a coalition letter supporting the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022, which would address critical issues of maternal mental health and well-being. ASAM joined a coalition letter urging Congress to support increased funding of important addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs aimed at strengthening the addiction service workforce in Fiscal Year 2023. Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Supported HR 7246/S 3940 - the Student Athlete Opioid Misuse Prevention Act which would establish a grant program through SAMHSA to provide educational and training at the youth, high school, and collegiate level for students and student athletes themselves, as well as athletic directors, youth sports coaches and organizers, school administrators, and others on the signs and dangers of opioid and substance misuse, and strategies for prevention. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Supported H.R.7116- the 9-8-8 Implementation Act which would provide resources needed to improve the nations mental health/substance use crisis system.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education ASAM and ten other health professional associations have called for the FDA to immediately and fully retract its buprenorphine Drug Safety Communication of January 12, 2022. In their letter, the signatories maintain that the communication is based on flawed analysis. As part of the National Alliance for Underage Drinking, ASAM sent a letter to Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Joyce, and Representative DeLauro in support of reauthorization of the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP Act). First passed by Congress in 2006 and later reauthorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, the STOP Act aims to reduce underage age drinking through a comprehensive approach comprised of cost-effective, evidence-based strategies. On January 26th, ASAM submitted a comment letter to CMSs proposed rule Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (the NBPP 2023 Rule). In its letter, ASAM supports, among other things: reinterpretation of the ACAs guaranteed availability requirement; the new interpretation would require issuers to enroll individuals with past-due premiums; reversion to pre-2020 non-discrimination protections that would prohibit certain exchanges, insurers, and agents and brokers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity; ensuring nondiscriminatory benefit design through refining the EHB nondiscrimination policy, providing a clear regulatory framework to evaluate plan benefit design and implementation based upon clinical guidelines and evidence; and requirements that issuers offer at least one standardized plan at every product network type, metal level, and in every service area where the issuer also offers non-standardized plans and that standardized plans use fixed copays instead of coinsurance. The letter also documents ASAMs general support for proposals related to network adequacy regulations, with recommendations for further refinement. On March 22, 2022, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter, spearheaded by former Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, to the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, Samantha Power. The letter urges mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) be integrated in the U.S. - Ukraine relief efforts, and that the U.S. coordinate with multilateral health organizations and the World Health Organization to address mental health and SUDs caused and exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine. ASAM joined a coalition letter to urge Congress to respond to a new and growing threat to our nations youth: e-cigarette manufacturers use of synthetic nicotine to evade Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. Specifically, the letter urges Congress to quickly address this serious public health situation by enacting legislation at the earliest possible opportunity that enables FDAs Center for Tobacco Products to regulate synthetic nicotine products. ASAM joined a coalition letter to express support for the Food and Drug Administrations commitment to issuing proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars. Once issued, the letter urges FDA to move quickly to finalize and implement these life-saving rules. ASAM joined a coalition letter supporting the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022, which would address critical issues of maternal mental health and well-being. ASAM joined a coalition letter urging Congress to support increased funding of important addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs aimed at strengthening the addiction service workforce in Fiscal Year 2023. Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Supported HR 7246/S 3940 - the Student Athlete Opioid Misuse Prevention Act which would establish a grant program through SAMHSA to provide educational and training at the youth, high school, and collegiate level for students and student athletes themselves, as well as athletic directors, youth sports coaches and organizers, school administrators, and others on the signs and dangers of opioid and substance misuse, and strategies for prevention. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Supported H.R.7116- the 9-8-8 Implementation Act which would provide resources needed to improve the nations mental health/substance use crisis system.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for HR 6279/S 3629 - Opioid Treatment Access Act which would make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy efforts with Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education ASAM and ten other health professional associations have called for the FDA to immediately and fully retract its buprenorphine Drug Safety Communication of January 12, 2022. In their letter, the signatories maintain that the communication is based on flawed analysis. As part of the National Alliance for Underage Drinking, ASAM sent a letter to Representative Roybal-Allard, Representative Joyce, and Representative DeLauro in support of reauthorization of the Sober Truth on Preventing (STOP Act). First passed by Congress in 2006 and later reauthorized in the 21st Century Cures Act, the STOP Act aims to reduce underage age drinking through a comprehensive approach comprised of cost-effective, evidence-based strategies. On January 26th, ASAM submitted a comment letter to CMSs proposed rule Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA); HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters (the NBPP 2023 Rule). In its letter, ASAM supports, among other things: reinterpretation of the ACAs guaranteed availability requirement; the new interpretation would require issuers to enroll individuals with past-due premiums; reversion to pre-2020 non-discrimination protections that would prohibit certain exchanges, insurers, and agents and brokers from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity; ensuring nondiscriminatory benefit design through refining the EHB nondiscrimination policy, providing a clear regulatory framework to evaluate plan benefit design and implementation based upon clinical guidelines and evidence; and requirements that issuers offer at least one standardized plan at every product network type, metal level, and in every service area where the issuer also offers non-standardized plans and that standardized plans use fixed copays instead of coinsurance. The letter also documents ASAMs general support for proposals related to network adequacy regulations, with recommendations for further refinement. On March 22, 2022, ASAM and other stakeholders sent a letter, spearheaded by former Representative Patrick J. Kennedy, to the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, and the U.S. Agency for International Development Administrator, Samantha Power. The letter urges mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) be integrated in the U.S. - Ukraine relief efforts, and that the U.S. coordinate with multilateral health organizations and the World Health Organization to address mental health and SUDs caused and exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine. ASAM joined a coalition letter to urge Congress to respond to a new and growing threat to our nations youth: e-cigarette manufacturers use of synthetic nicotine to evade Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight. Specifically, the letter urges Congress to quickly address this serious public health situation by enacting legislation at the earliest possible opportunity that enables FDAs Center for Tobacco Products to regulate synthetic nicotine products. ASAM joined a coalition letter to express support for the Food and Drug Administrations commitment to issuing proposed rules to prohibit menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes and prohibit all characterizing flavors in cigars. Once issued, the letter urges FDA to move quickly to finalize and implement these life-saving rules. ASAM joined a coalition letter supporting the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022, which would address critical issues of maternal mental health and well-being. ASAM joined a coalition letter urging Congress to support increased funding of important addiction prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs aimed at strengthening the addiction service workforce in Fiscal Year 2023. Advocated for federal clarification of suspicious order rules to break down perceived and real barriers to buprenorphine access at pharmacies Advocated for passage of HR 3441/ S 1438 the Opioid Workforce Act/Substance Use Disorder Workforce Act to increase Medicare supported GME slots for addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, and pain medicine. Supported HR 7246/S 3940 - the Student Athlete Opioid Misuse Prevention Act which would establish a grant program through SAMHSA to provide educational and training at the youth, high school, and collegiate level for students and student athletes themselves, as well as athletic directors, youth sports coaches and organizers, school administrators, and others on the signs and dangers of opioid and substance misuse, and strategies for prevention. Advocated for draft legislative text that would close severe MH/SUD coverage gaps in Medicare. Supported H.R.7116- the 9-8-8 Implementation Act which would provide resources needed to improve the nations mental health/substance use crisis system.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy coalition letter to Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo of the Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Advocated for addiction-related provisions in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) that would increase access to comprehensive, high-quality addiction care in ways that reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities, and make important investments in the addiction medicine workforce. Sent letter to the FDA responding to their request for feedback in reevaluating the voluntary status of the Opioid Analgesics (OA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Currently, FDA is considering extending the REMS program to become a mandatory course for all opioid prescribers. Urged against FDA making the REMS program mandatory for all opioid prescribers and identified other strategies to expand provider education more effectively. Primarily, ASAM emphasized the importance of the concurrent passage of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act (S 2235/HR 2067) and the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act (S 445/HR 1384). Advocated for the HR 6279, the Opioid Treatment Access Act that would allow for broader access to methadone for opioid use disorder, including through measured expansion of prescribing/pharmacy dispensing. Joined coalition letter urging reconsideration of the requirements in the Interim Final Rule (IFR), entitled Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part II, 86 Fed. Reg. 55,980 (Oct. 7, 2021), implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that directs Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entities to consider the qualifying payment amount (QPA) a rebuttable presumptive reasonable payment for out-of-network physicians engaging in the IDR process. Joined coalition letter urging inclusion of provisions in the Administration's budget request for FY 23 that expand the Administrations efforts to reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy coalition letter to Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo of the Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Advocated for addiction-related provisions in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) that would increase access to comprehensive, high-quality addiction care in ways that reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities, and make important investments in the addiction medicine workforce. Sent letter to the FDA responding to their request for feedback in reevaluating the voluntary status of the Opioid Analgesics (OA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Currently, FDA is considering extending the REMS program to become a mandatory course for all opioid prescribers. Urged against FDA making the REMS program mandatory for all opioid prescribers and identified other strategies to expand provider education more effectively. Primarily, ASAM emphasized the importance of the concurrent passage of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act (S 2235/HR 2067) and the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act (S 445/HR 1384). Advocated for the HR 6279, the Opioid Treatment Access Act that would allow for broader access to methadone for opioid use disorder, including through measured expansion of prescribing/pharmacy dispensing. Joined coalition letter urging reconsideration of the requirements in the Interim Final Rule (IFR), entitled Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part II, 86 Fed. Reg. 55,980 (Oct. 7, 2021), implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that directs Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entities to consider the qualifying payment amount (QPA) a rebuttable presumptive reasonable payment for out-of-network physicians engaging in the IDR process. Joined coalition letter urging inclusion of provisions in the Administration's budget request for FY 23 that expand the Administrations efforts to reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy coalition letter to Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo of the Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Advocated for addiction-related provisions in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) that would increase access to comprehensive, high-quality addiction care in ways that reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities, and make important investments in the addiction medicine workforce. Sent letter to the FDA responding to their request for feedback in reevaluating the voluntary status of the Opioid Analgesics (OA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Currently, FDA is considering extending the REMS program to become a mandatory course for all opioid prescribers. Urged against FDA making the REMS program mandatory for all opioid prescribers and identified other strategies to expand provider education more effectively. Primarily, ASAM emphasized the importance of the concurrent passage of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act (S 2235/HR 2067) and the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act (S 445/HR 1384). Advocated for the HR 6279, the Opioid Treatment Access Act that would allow for broader access to methadone for opioid use disorder, including through measured expansion of prescribing/pharmacy dispensing. Joined coalition letter urging reconsideration of the requirements in the Interim Final Rule (IFR), entitled Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part II, 86 Fed. Reg. 55,980 (Oct. 7, 2021), implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that directs Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entities to consider the qualifying payment amount (QPA) a rebuttable presumptive reasonable payment for out-of-network physicians engaging in the IDR process. Joined coalition letter urging inclusion of provisions in the Administration's budget request for FY 23 that expand the Administrations efforts to reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy coalition letter to Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo of the Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Advocated for addiction-related provisions in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) that would increase access to comprehensive, high-quality addiction care in ways that reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities, and make important investments in the addiction medicine workforce. Sent letter to the FDA responding to their request for feedback in reevaluating the voluntary status of the Opioid Analgesics (OA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Currently, FDA is considering extending the REMS program to become a mandatory course for all opioid prescribers. Urged against FDA making the REMS program mandatory for all opioid prescribers and identified other strategies to expand provider education more effectively. Primarily, ASAM emphasized the importance of the concurrent passage of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act (S 2235/HR 2067) and the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act (S 445/HR 1384). Advocated for the HR 6279, the Opioid Treatment Access Act that would allow for broader access to methadone for opioid use disorder, including through measured expansion of prescribing/pharmacy dispensing. Joined coalition letter urging reconsideration of the requirements in the Interim Final Rule (IFR), entitled Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part II, 86 Fed. Reg. 55,980 (Oct. 7, 2021), implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that directs Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entities to consider the qualifying payment amount (QPA) a rebuttable presumptive reasonable payment for out-of-network physicians engaging in the IDR process. Joined coalition letter urging inclusion of provisions in the Administration's budget request for FY 23 that expand the Administrations efforts to reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings. Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates. Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels. Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA. Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers. Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes. Joined advocacy coalition letter to Chairman Ron Wyden and Ranking Member Mike Crapo of the Senate Committee on Finance, encouraging full extension of federal mental health and substance use disorder parity protections to Medicare, all of Medicaid, and TRICARE. Sent Congressional letter recommending closer coordination among relevant federal agencies, greater integration between primary care and behavioral health reimbursement, and robust funding for the addiction treatment workforce-- such as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. ASAM also expressed support for legislation to ensure state compliance with mental health and addiction parity law and codification of audio-video telehealth prescribing flexibilities for the treatment of substance use disorder. Finally, ASAM called on federal legislators to consider new and promising strategies like contingency management Advocated for addiction-related provisions in the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) that would increase access to comprehensive, high-quality addiction care in ways that reduce racial, ethnic, and economic disparities, and make important investments in the addiction medicine workforce. Sent letter to the FDA responding to their request for feedback in reevaluating the voluntary status of the Opioid Analgesics (OA) Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) program. Currently, FDA is considering extending the REMS program to become a mandatory course for all opioid prescribers. Urged against FDA making the REMS program mandatory for all opioid prescribers and identified other strategies to expand provider education more effectively. Primarily, ASAM emphasized the importance of the concurrent passage of the Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act (S 2235/HR 2067) and the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act (S 445/HR 1384). Advocated for the HR 6279, the Opioid Treatment Access Act that would allow for broader access to methadone for opioid use disorder, including through measured expansion of prescribing/pharmacy dispensing. Joined coalition letter urging reconsideration of the requirements in the Interim Final Rule (IFR), entitled Requirements Related to Surprise Billing; Part II, 86 Fed. Reg. 55,980 (Oct. 7, 2021), implementing the No Surprises Act (NSA) that directs Independent Dispute Resolution (IDR) entities to consider the qualifying payment amount (QPA) a rebuttable presumptive reasonable payment for out-of-network physicians engaging in the IDR process. Joined coalition letter urging inclusion of provisions in the Administration's budget request for FY 23 that expand the Administrations efforts to reduce tobacco use, which remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Urged inclusion of the field of addiction medicine in reauthorizations of several SAMHSA programs as well as conveyed ways to improve clinician access to relevant addiction medicine education

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates; Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels; Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; ; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package Advocated for House Resolution 349, which would support the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to halfstaff on all Federal buildings on August 31st of each year. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining suggested improvements to the proposed Physician Payment Schedule for calendar year (CY) 2022. Among other recommendations, ASAM urged that CMS work with Congress to avoid a 2.5% cut in reimbursements for addiction medicine (ADM), finalize coding and payment rules for take-home naloxone nasal spray, and extend audio-only flexibility for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to furnish therapy and counseling payments for substance use disorder (SUD). Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported nomination of Dr. Rahul Gupta to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a critical position for coordinating the nations drug policy and response to the nations drug addiction and overdose crisis. Supported the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069/H.R. 4323). This legislation would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for H.R. 2786/ S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021, which would increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes and set federal tax rates for other tobacco products at an equivalent level. Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Advocated for passage of the Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act (S.2238 and H.R.4151), known as the FASD Respect Act. The legislation would in part reauthorize and strengthen existing federal FASD programs at NIAAA, CDC, and HRSA, and for the first time calls for long-neglected, meaningful support for individuals and families living with FASD. Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) efforts to enhance the exchange of clinical and administrative data through their recommendations to the Secretary but highlighted the important role of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set as serving the needs of a data-driven health system by allowing physicians, patients, researchers, medical groups, allied health care professionals, health systems, hospitals, medical coders, accreditation organizations, payers, and health information technology professionals to easily exchange data on the medical services and procedures provided to patients. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates; Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels; Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; ; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package Advocated for House Resolution 349, which would support the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to halfstaff on all Federal buildings on August 31st of each year. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining suggested improvements to the proposed Physician Payment Schedule for calendar year (CY) 2022. Among other recommendations, ASAM urged that CMS work with Congress to avoid a 2.5% cut in reimbursements for addiction medicine (ADM), finalize coding and payment rules for take-home naloxone nasal spray, and extend audio-only flexibility for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to furnish therapy and counseling payments for substance use disorder (SUD). Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported nomination of Dr. Rahul Gupta to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a critical position for coordinating the nations drug policy and response to the nations drug addiction and overdose crisis. Supported the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069/H.R. 4323). This legislation would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for H.R. 2786/ S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021, which would increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes and set federal tax rates for other tobacco products at an equivalent level. Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Advocated for passage of the Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act (S.2238 and H.R.4151), known as the FASD Respect Act. The legislation would in part reauthorize and strengthen existing federal FASD programs at NIAAA, CDC, and HRSA, and for the first time calls for long-neglected, meaningful support for individuals and families living with FASD. Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) efforts to enhance the exchange of clinical and administrative data through their recommendations to the Secretary but highlighted the important role of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set as serving the needs of a data-driven health system by allowing physicians, patients, researchers, medical groups, allied health care professionals, health systems, hospitals, medical coders, accreditation organizations, payers, and health information technology professionals to easily exchange data on the medical services and procedures provided to patients. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates; Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels; Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; ; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package Advocated for House Resolution 349, which would support the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to halfstaff on all Federal buildings on August 31st of each year. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining suggested improvements to the proposed Physician Payment Schedule for calendar year (CY) 2022. Among other recommendations, ASAM urged that CMS work with Congress to avoid a 2.5% cut in reimbursements for addiction medicine (ADM), finalize coding and payment rules for take-home naloxone nasal spray, and extend audio-only flexibility for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to furnish therapy and counseling payments for substance use disorder (SUD). Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported nomination of Dr. Rahul Gupta to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a critical position for coordinating the nations drug policy and response to the nations drug addiction and overdose crisis. Supported the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069/H.R. 4323). This legislation would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for H.R. 2786/ S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021, which would increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes and set federal tax rates for other tobacco products at an equivalent level. Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Advocated for passage of the Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act (S.2238 and H.R.4151), known as the FASD Respect Act. The legislation would in part reauthorize and strengthen existing federal FASD programs at NIAAA, CDC, and HRSA, and for the first time calls for long-neglected, meaningful support for individuals and families living with FASD. Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) efforts to enhance the exchange of clinical and administrative data through their recommendations to the Secretary but highlighted the important role of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set as serving the needs of a data-driven health system by allowing physicians, patients, researchers, medical groups, allied health care professionals, health systems, hospitals, medical coders, accreditation organizations, payers, and health information technology professionals to easily exchange data on the medical services and procedures provided to patients. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates; Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels; Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; ; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package Advocated for House Resolution 349, which would support the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to halfstaff on all Federal buildings on August 31st of each year. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining suggested improvements to the proposed Physician Payment Schedule for calendar year (CY) 2022. Among other recommendations, ASAM urged that CMS work with Congress to avoid a 2.5% cut in reimbursements for addiction medicine (ADM), finalize coding and payment rules for take-home naloxone nasal spray, and extend audio-only flexibility for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to furnish therapy and counseling payments for substance use disorder (SUD). Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported nomination of Dr. Rahul Gupta to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a critical position for coordinating the nations drug policy and response to the nations drug addiction and overdose crisis. Supported the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069/H.R. 4323). This legislation would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for H.R. 2786/ S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021, which would increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes and set federal tax rates for other tobacco products at an equivalent level. Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Advocated for passage of the Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act (S.2238 and H.R.4151), known as the FASD Respect Act. The legislation would in part reauthorize and strengthen existing federal FASD programs at NIAAA, CDC, and HRSA, and for the first time calls for long-neglected, meaningful support for individuals and families living with FASD. Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) efforts to enhance the exchange of clinical and administrative data through their recommendations to the Secretary but highlighted the important role of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set as serving the needs of a data-driven health system by allowing physicians, patients, researchers, medical groups, allied health care professionals, health systems, hospitals, medical coders, accreditation organizations, payers, and health information technology professionals to easily exchange data on the medical services and procedures provided to patients. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes.

Advocated for Increased appropriations for HRSAs Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery Loan Repayment Program. This program provides student loan repayment for addiction treatment professionals who commit to working in underserved or high-risk communities. Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Addiction Medicine Fellowship Program. This Program provides grants to institutions with training opportunities for fellows in addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry who have demonstrated interest in providing addiction treatment in underserved communities Advocated for increased appropriations for HRSAs Integrated Substance Use Disorder Training Program. This program provides grants to expand the number of nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, and social workers trained to provide addiction and mental health services in underserved community-based settings that integrate primary care, mental health, and addiction services. Advocated for increased appropriations for federal initiatives that lead to a more diverse addiction treatment workforce, such as scholarships and loan repayment targeting underrepresented minority addiction medicine professionals, including SAMHSAs Minority Fellowship Program. Advocated for the alignment of coverage and payment policies in Medicare and Medicaid with evidence-based and nationally recognized addiction treatment and placement criteria and standards (e.g., The ASAM Criteria). This would include permanent modification to the Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion to allow federal Medicaid funds to serve individuals with SUDs in those residential and inpatient settings that are able to demonstrate that patient assessments, clinical services, level-of-care and length-of-stay recommendations are consistent with The ASAM Criteria and that evidence based medication management using Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medications are available to patients in such settings Advocated for regulatory/sub-regulatory/application guidance that would require the use of evidence-based practices in the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant, including requiring each grantee delivering SUD treatment services to provide access to all FDA-approved medications for SUDs treated by that grantee. Advocated for a requirement that SAPT, State Opioid Response Grant (SOR), and Rural Communities Opioid Response Program grantees that receive grant funds for the delivery of addiction treatment services should be limited to Medicaid providers in order to better integrate federal grant dollars and Medicaid funds and Administration support for increased oversight and improved mechanisms for ensuring that such funding does not supplant the consistent and scalable funding that Medicaid (or Medicare) provides. Advocated for S 2235/HR 2067 - Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act of 2021: This legislation would ensure most Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) controlled medication prescribers have a baseline knowledge of how to identify, treat, and manage patients with SUD and would allow accredited health professional schools and residency programs to fulfill the training requirement through their own curricula, as well as provide them with resources to do so. Advocated for simultaneous passage of S 445/HR 1384 - Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, which would eliminate the requirement that practitioners apply for a separate waiver through the DEA to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction and eliminate the patient limits on buprenorphine prescribers. Advocated for S 285/HR 955 - the Medicaid Reentry Act: This legislation would allow for reestablishment of health insurance coverage under Medicaid for eligible individuals who are incarcerated, during the 30-day period preceding their release from jail or prison. Advocated for S 1821/HR 3514 - the Humane Correctional Health Care Act, which would repeal the inmate exclusion that bars the use of federal Medicaid matching funds from covering health care services in jails and prisons. Advocated for S1727/HR 3450 - The Medicaid Bump Act of 2021: This legislation would provide an enhanced Medicaid Federal Medical Assistance Percentage rate of 90 percent for State Medicaid spending on mental health and substance use disorder services in excess of 2019 levels. It would also require states to use the additional federal funds as a supplement to rather than a replacement for state funding levels, and to use the funds to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of behavioral health services, including through increasing provider reimbursement rates; Advocated for Section 9 of S. 1010 - the Turn the Tide Act - These provisions would increase Medicaid fees for addiction treatment services to at least Medicare levels; Advocated for HR 1364 - the Parity Enforcement Act: This legislation would expand the U.S. Department of Labors authority to hold health insurers and plan sponsors accountable for offering health plans that violate the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) of 2008 or for employing utilization review processes that prove more restrictive for mental health and addiction care than for other medical care in violation of the MHPAEA Advocated for S 340/HR 1674 - TREATS Act: This legislation would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement, which would allow clinicians to prescribe certain addiction treatment medications, like buprenorphine, to new patients through telehealth. It would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, SUD and mental health telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation. Provided technical assistance regarding a possible audio-only exception to Ryan Haight for initiation of buprenorphine for OUD. Advocated for HR 3925 Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act: This legislation would prohibit states receiving Federal funding for medication-assisted treatment under Medicaid from imposing utilization control policies or procedures (as defined by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services), including prior authorization requirements, with respect to such treatment. Advocated for the Administration to support continuous collaboration and sharing of information between the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and SAMHSA, which should include new, strategic efforts to provide technical assistance funds to states to support their operation of CMS-approved Section 1115 SUD waivers related to the IMD exclusion and to enhance their care delivery systems for patients. Advocated for the Administration to increase promotion to State Medicaid programs of adoption of two, new sets of bundled G codes to increase or establish payment for outpatient opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment and treatment services provided by opioid treatment programs (OTPs) at Medicare payment rates or higher. Advocated for the Administration to support the following regulatory and administrative efforts that would reduce barriers to accessing addiction treatment: Creation of safe-harbor provisions to the Anti-Kickback Statute and Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act Civil, as they may be applied to the implementation of contingency management (CM) for the treatment of addiction. Approval of a prescription to over the counter (OTC) switch for at least one naloxone product. This change would save lives and reduce existing barriers that prevent access to this critical medication; Regulatory changes that would allow Medicaid reimbursement for the room and board portion of SUD residential levels of care that meet level of care standards set forth in The ASAM Criteria; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would create a special registration exemption for jails, prisons, and their authorized personnel to prescribe and otherwise dispense controlled medications for initiation, maintenance or withdrawal management of OUD that is significantly less burdensome than currently applicable registration requirements in the Controlled Substances Act and related regulations. Such special registration should not limit the number of persons who are detained or incarcerated who can be treated with such medications by a qualified practitioner; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would allow pharmacy dispensing and/or administration of methadone that has been prescribed by a legally authorized prescriber of controlled medications who is affiliated with an OTP or is a board-certified addiction specialist physician; Regulatory (or legislative) changes that would make permanent the opioid treatment program (OTP) flexibilities, including the methadone unsupervised dosing flexibilities, implemented during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency while continuing study of the impact of these flexibilities; Assessment of current opioid order systems and monitoring programs to more fully understand the potential negative implications for patient access to buprenorphine at pharmacies and other controlled substance medications used to treat OUD; ; In the absence of Congressional action to eliminate the x-waiver, efforts to increase the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit -- aka, the applicable number; Issuance of regulations relating to a special registration for telemedicine, as was directed in Section 3232 of the SUPPORT Act of 2018. Advocated for the S.834/H.R.2256 Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconciliation package Advocated for House Resolution 349, which would support the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to halfstaff on all Federal buildings on August 31st of each year. Advocated for the Support, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention of (S.T.O.P) Fentanyl Act of 2021 (H.R. 2366 / S. 1457). This legislation would expand fentanyl research and education, enhance overdose prevention and access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and provide critical public health data and additional training support for various stakeholders. Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Submitted a comment letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) outlining suggested improvements to the proposed Physician Payment Schedule for calendar year (CY) 2022. Among other recommendations, ASAM urged that CMS work with Congress to avoid a 2.5% cut in reimbursements for addiction medicine (ADM), finalize coding and payment rules for take-home naloxone nasal spray, and extend audio-only flexibility for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to furnish therapy and counseling payments for substance use disorder (SUD). Advocated for the inclusion of enhanced mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) parity enforcement within the Senates version of the budget reconciliation proposal. These enhanced enforcement measures would authorize the Department of Labor to assess civil monetary penalties against insurers that violate the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported $195 million over five years to the Employee Benefits Security Administration for enforcement. Advocated for the Moms Matter Act (H.R. 909). The Moms Matter Act is a bipartisan bill that would increase federal funding for culturally congruent, community-based mental and behavior health programs. Advocated for H.R 1693 / S. 79, the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. This legislation would eliminate the federal crack and powder cocaine sentencing disparity and apply it retroactively to those already convicted or sentenced. Supported nomination of Dr. Rahul Gupta to lead the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), a critical position for coordinating the nations drug policy and response to the nations drug addiction and overdose crisis. Supported the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069/H.R. 4323). This legislation would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Supported implemented recommendations regarding the CARES Acts amendment of 42 CFR Part 2 to advance further alignment of 42 CFR Part 2 (Part 2) with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations (TPO). Advocated for H.R. 2786/ S. 1314, the Tobacco Tax Equity Act of 2021, which would increase the federal excise tax on cigarettes and set federal tax rates for other tobacco products at an equivalent level. Supported the tobacco tax provisions included in the portion of the Build Back Better Act that was approved by the Ways and Means Committee Advocated for passage of the Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act (S.2238 and H.R.4151), known as the FASD Respect Act. The legislation would in part reauthorize and strengthen existing federal FASD programs at NIAAA, CDC, and HRSA, and for the first time calls for long-neglected, meaningful support for individuals and families living with FASD. Supported H.R.4244 - STOP Stigma Act, which would make amendments to the names of certain agencies to help end the stigmatization of substance use disorder, and for other purposes. Supported the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics (NCVHS) efforts to enhance the exchange of clinical and administrative data through their recommendations to the Secretary but highlighted the important role of the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code set as serving the needs of a data-driven health system by allowing physicians, patients, researchers, medical groups, allied health care professionals, health systems, hospitals, medical coders, accreditation organizations, payers, and health information technology professionals to easily exchange data on the medical services and procedures provided to patients. Supported draft legislation that would amend the Controlled Substances Act to increase the number of days before which certain controlled substances for maintenance or detoxification treatment must be administered, and for other purposes.

Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067 / S 2235) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Sent a letter with other stakeholders to leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies outlining appropriations recommendations for FY22. These recommendations include maintaining or increasing funding for a broad range of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs vital to combatting the nations addiction crisis. Provided comments on draft legislation that would expand addiction treatment in jails and prisons As part of MHLG coalition, submitted a letter in support of the Parity Enforcement Act (H.R. 1364), which would give the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) a critical tool to ensure health plan compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Federal Parity Act). Supported the reintroduction of the Opioid Workforce Act, which would expand the physician workforce by providing support for 1,000 new graduate medical education training positions over five years in hospitals that have-or are in the process of establishing-accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging FDA to propose and finalize regulations expeditiously to implement a proposal that would ban menthol and flavored cigarettes, which would protect youth against tobacco use initiation, reduce health disparities, and save lives. Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide comments on the proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, intended to support, and remove barriers to, coordinated care and individual engagement. Sent a letter with other stakeholders in support of the Excellence in Recovery Housing Act, which would greatly improve our nations understanding of the quality, effectiveness, and availability of recovery housing; better coordinate the federal governments efforts in this regard, and help create guidelines for states to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing. Participated in a call with SAMHSA to discuss ASAM Criteria resources and trainings for states. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging legislators to include $120 million for the Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic program in the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' appropriations bills. Sent a letter in support of H.R. 2503, the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021, which would create an inter-agency technical advisory council on social determinants of health (SDOH) and a new federal grant program to assist state, local, and Tribal governments in tackling persistent economic and social conditions that impact the prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions, including addiction. ASAM submitted comments in response to a section of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intended to implement a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 which created 1,000 additional Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions. Sent a letter with other stakeholders to CMS advocating for alternative payment models designed by practicing physicians to enable CMMI to accelerate value-based payment and care delivery for patients with Medicare and Medicaid. Sent letter with other stakeholders to Senators in support for the nomination of Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sent letters with other stakeholders in support of legislation (S 2043 / House companion bill) to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to bill sponsors in support for H.R. 3450/S. 1727, the Medicaid Bump Act, which would incentivize states to expand coverage of behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use services, by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90% for these services As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to Senate sponsors in support for the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069), which would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Advocated draft House bill legislation regarding a permanent repeal of the IMD exclusion Advocated for new legisaltion to close coverage caps in Medicare related to substance use disorder facilities and services

Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067 / S 2235) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Sent a letter with other stakeholders to leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies outlining appropriations recommendations for FY22. These recommendations include maintaining or increasing funding for a broad range of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs vital to combatting the nations addiction crisis. Provided comments on draft legislation that would expand addiction treatment in jails and prisons As part of MHLG coalition, submitted a letter in support of the Parity Enforcement Act (H.R. 1364), which would give the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) a critical tool to ensure health plan compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Federal Parity Act). Supported the reintroduction of the Opioid Workforce Act, which would expand the physician workforce by providing support for 1,000 new graduate medical education training positions over five years in hospitals that have-or are in the process of establishing-accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging FDA to propose and finalize regulations expeditiously to implement a proposal that would ban menthol and flavored cigarettes, which would protect youth against tobacco use initiation, reduce health disparities, and save lives. Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide comments on the proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, intended to support, and remove barriers to, coordinated care and individual engagement. Sent a letter with other stakeholders in support of the Excellence in Recovery Housing Act, which would greatly improve our nations understanding of the quality, effectiveness, and availability of recovery housing; better coordinate the federal governments efforts in this regard, and help create guidelines for states to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing. Participated in a call with SAMHSA to discuss ASAM Criteria resources and trainings for states. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging legislators to include $120 million for the Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic program in the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' appropriations bills. Sent a letter in support of H.R. 2503, the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021, which would create an inter-agency technical advisory council on social determinants of health (SDOH) and a new federal grant program to assist state, local, and Tribal governments in tackling persistent economic and social conditions that impact the prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions, including addiction. ASAM submitted comments in response to a section of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intended to implement a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 which created 1,000 additional Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions. Sent a letter with other stakeholders to CMS advocating for alternative payment models designed by practicing physicians to enable CMMI to accelerate value-based payment and care delivery for patients with Medicare and Medicaid. Sent letter with other stakeholders to Senators in support for the nomination of Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sent letters with other stakeholders in support of legislation (S 2043 / House companion bill) to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to bill sponsors in support for H.R. 3450/S. 1727, the Medicaid Bump Act, which would incentivize states to expand coverage of behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use services, by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90% for these services As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to Senate sponsors in support for the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069), which would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Advocated draft House bill legislation regarding a permanent repeal of the IMD exclusion Advocated for new legisaltion to close coverage caps in Medicare related to substance use disorder facilities and services

Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067 / S 2235) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Sent a letter with other stakeholders to leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies outlining appropriations recommendations for FY22. These recommendations include maintaining or increasing funding for a broad range of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs vital to combatting the nations addiction crisis. Provided comments on draft legislation that would expand addiction treatment in jails and prisons As part of MHLG coalition, submitted a letter in support of the Parity Enforcement Act (H.R. 1364), which would give the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) a critical tool to ensure health plan compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Federal Parity Act). Supported the reintroduction of the Opioid Workforce Act, which would expand the physician workforce by providing support for 1,000 new graduate medical education training positions over five years in hospitals that have-or are in the process of establishing-accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging FDA to propose and finalize regulations expeditiously to implement a proposal that would ban menthol and flavored cigarettes, which would protect youth against tobacco use initiation, reduce health disparities, and save lives. Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide comments on the proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, intended to support, and remove barriers to, coordinated care and individual engagement. Sent a letter with other stakeholders in support of the Excellence in Recovery Housing Act, which would greatly improve our nations understanding of the quality, effectiveness, and availability of recovery housing; better coordinate the federal governments efforts in this regard, and help create guidelines for states to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing. Participated in a call with SAMHSA to discuss ASAM Criteria resources and trainings for states. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging legislators to include $120 million for the Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic program in the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' appropriations bills. Sent a letter in support of H.R. 2503, the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021, which would create an inter-agency technical advisory council on social determinants of health (SDOH) and a new federal grant program to assist state, local, and Tribal governments in tackling persistent economic and social conditions that impact the prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions, including addiction. ASAM submitted comments in response to a section of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intended to implement a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 which created 1,000 additional Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions. Sent a letter with other stakeholders to CMS advocating for alternative payment models designed by practicing physicians to enable CMMI to accelerate value-based payment and care delivery for patients with Medicare and Medicaid. Sent letter with other stakeholders to Senators in support for the nomination of Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sent letters with other stakeholders in support of legislation (S 2043 / House companion bill) to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to bill sponsors in support for H.R. 3450/S. 1727, the Medicaid Bump Act, which would incentivize states to expand coverage of behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use services, by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90% for these services As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to Senate sponsors in support for the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069), which would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Advocated draft House bill legislation regarding a permanent repeal of the IMD exclusion Advocated for new legisaltion to close coverage caps in Medicare related to substance use disorder facilities and services

Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067 / S 2235) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Sent a letter with other stakeholders to leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies outlining appropriations recommendations for FY22. These recommendations include maintaining or increasing funding for a broad range of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs vital to combatting the nations addiction crisis. Provided comments on draft legislation that would expand addiction treatment in jails and prisons As part of MHLG coalition, submitted a letter in support of the Parity Enforcement Act (H.R. 1364), which would give the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) a critical tool to ensure health plan compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Federal Parity Act). Supported the reintroduction of the Opioid Workforce Act, which would expand the physician workforce by providing support for 1,000 new graduate medical education training positions over five years in hospitals that have-or are in the process of establishing-accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging FDA to propose and finalize regulations expeditiously to implement a proposal that would ban menthol and flavored cigarettes, which would protect youth against tobacco use initiation, reduce health disparities, and save lives. Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide comments on the proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, intended to support, and remove barriers to, coordinated care and individual engagement. Sent a letter with other stakeholders in support of the Excellence in Recovery Housing Act, which would greatly improve our nations understanding of the quality, effectiveness, and availability of recovery housing; better coordinate the federal governments efforts in this regard, and help create guidelines for states to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing. Participated in a call with SAMHSA to discuss ASAM Criteria resources and trainings for states. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging legislators to include $120 million for the Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic program in the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' appropriations bills. Sent a letter in support of H.R. 2503, the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021, which would create an inter-agency technical advisory council on social determinants of health (SDOH) and a new federal grant program to assist state, local, and Tribal governments in tackling persistent economic and social conditions that impact the prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions, including addiction. ASAM submitted comments in response to a section of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intended to implement a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 which created 1,000 additional Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions. Sent a letter with other stakeholders to CMS advocating for alternative payment models designed by practicing physicians to enable CMMI to accelerate value-based payment and care delivery for patients with Medicare and Medicaid. Sent letter with other stakeholders to Senators in support for the nomination of Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sent letters with other stakeholders in support of legislation (S 2043 / House companion bill) to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to bill sponsors in support for H.R. 3450/S. 1727, the Medicaid Bump Act, which would incentivize states to expand coverage of behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use services, by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90% for these services As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to Senate sponsors in support for the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069), which would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Advocated draft House bill legislation regarding a permanent repeal of the IMD exclusion Advocated for new legisaltion to close coverage caps in Medicare related to substance use disorder facilities and services

Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067 / S 2235) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years, including its inclusion in the next reconcillation package Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of prescribers Sent a letter with other stakeholders to leaders of the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, HHS, Education, and Related Agencies outlining appropriations recommendations for FY22. These recommendations include maintaining or increasing funding for a broad range of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support programs vital to combatting the nations addiction crisis. Provided comments on draft legislation that would expand addiction treatment in jails and prisons As part of MHLG coalition, submitted a letter in support of the Parity Enforcement Act (H.R. 1364), which would give the U.S. Department of Labor (USDOL) a critical tool to ensure health plan compliance with the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (Federal Parity Act). Supported the reintroduction of the Opioid Workforce Act, which would expand the physician workforce by providing support for 1,000 new graduate medical education training positions over five years in hospitals that have-or are in the process of establishing-accredited residency programs in addiction medicine, addiction psychiatry, or pain medicine. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging FDA to propose and finalize regulations expeditiously to implement a proposal that would ban menthol and flavored cigarettes, which would protect youth against tobacco use initiation, reduce health disparities, and save lives. Sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide comments on the proposed modifications to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, intended to support, and remove barriers to, coordinated care and individual engagement. Sent a letter with other stakeholders in support of the Excellence in Recovery Housing Act, which would greatly improve our nations understanding of the quality, effectiveness, and availability of recovery housing; better coordinate the federal governments efforts in this regard, and help create guidelines for states to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing. Participated in a call with SAMHSA to discuss ASAM Criteria resources and trainings for states. Sent a letter with other stakeholders urging legislators to include $120 million for the Infectious Diseases and the Opioid Epidemic program in the Senate and House Appropriations Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies' appropriations bills. Sent a letter in support of H.R. 2503, the Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021, which would create an inter-agency technical advisory council on social determinants of health (SDOH) and a new federal grant program to assist state, local, and Tribal governments in tackling persistent economic and social conditions that impact the prevention and treatment of chronic medical conditions, including addiction. ASAM submitted comments in response to a section of a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) intended to implement a provision of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 which created 1,000 additional Medicare-supported graduate medical education (GME) positions. Sent a letter with other stakeholders to CMS advocating for alternative payment models designed by practicing physicians to enable CMMI to accelerate value-based payment and care delivery for patients with Medicare and Medicaid. Sent letter with other stakeholders to Senators in support for the nomination of Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon for Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Sent letters with other stakeholders in support of legislation (S 2043 / House companion bill) to make Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities fully smoke-free. As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to bill sponsors in support for H.R. 3450/S. 1727, the Medicaid Bump Act, which would incentivize states to expand coverage of behavioral health services, including mental health and substance use services, by providing a corresponding increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) matching rate to 90% for these services As part of the MHLG coalition, sent letter to Senate sponsors in support for the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 2069), which would allow for every state and territory the ability to join the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration and would authorize investments in the model for current and prospective CCBHCs. Advocated draft House bill legislation regarding a permanent repeal of the IMD exclusion Advocated for new legisaltion to close coverage caps in Medicare related to substance use disorder facilities and services

Submitted comments on the Interim Final Rule on the Implementation of the SUPPORT Act regarding dispensing and administering controlled substances for medication-assisted treatment Provided technical assistance on language in the Lessening Addiction by Enhancing Labeling Opioids Act so that any new label would not inappropriately refer to buprenorphine Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education, substance use disorder curricula grants, and opioid analgesics prescription limiation provisions in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Supported the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, which would require group health plans and insurers to cover mental health and addiction telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD workforce-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supprted the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act and increased appropriations for the CDC regarding tobacco prevention and cessation activities Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of physician prescribers Advocated for new provisions in the American Rescue Treatment Act regarding increasing Medicaid reimbursment for addiction treatment providers

Submitted comments on the Interim Final Rule on the Implementation of the SUPPORT Act regarding dispensing and administering controlled substances for medication-assisted treatment Provided technical assistance on language in the Lessening Addiction by Enhancing Labeling Opioids Act so that any new label would not inappropriately refer to buprenorphine Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education, substance use disorder curricula grants, and opioid analgesics prescription limiation provisions in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Supported the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, which would require group health plans and insurers to cover mental health and addiction telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD workforce-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supprted the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act and increased appropriations for the CDC regarding tobacco prevention and cessation activities Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of physician prescribers Advocated for new provisions in the American Rescue Treatment Act regarding increasing Medicaid reimbursment for addiction treatment providers

Submitted comments on the Interim Final Rule on the Implementation of the SUPPORT Act regarding dispensing and administering controlled substances for medication-assisted treatment Provided technical assistance on language in the Lessening Addiction by Enhancing Labeling Opioids Act so that any new label would not inappropriately refer to buprenorphine Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education, substance use disorder curricula grants, and opioid analgesics prescription limiation provisions in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Supported the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, which would require group health plans and insurers to cover mental health and addiction telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD workforce-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supprted the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act and increased appropriations for the CDC regarding tobacco prevention and cessation activities Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of physician prescribers Advocated for new provisions in the American Rescue Treatment Act regarding increasing Medicaid reimbursment for addiction treatment providers

Submitted comments on the Interim Final Rule on the Implementation of the SUPPORT Act regarding dispensing and administering controlled substances for medication-assisted treatment Provided technical assistance on language in the Lessening Addiction by Enhancing Labeling Opioids Act so that any new label would not inappropriately refer to buprenorphine Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education, substance use disorder curricula grants, and opioid analgesics prescription limiation provisions in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Supported the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, which would require group health plans and insurers to cover mental health and addiction telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD workforce-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supprted the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act and increased appropriations for the CDC regarding tobacco prevention and cessation activities Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of physician prescribers Advocated for new provisions in the American Rescue Treatment Act regarding increasing Medicaid reimbursment for addiction treatment providers

Submitted comments on the Interim Final Rule on the Implementation of the SUPPORT Act regarding dispensing and administering controlled substances for medication-assisted treatment Provided technical assistance on language in the Lessening Addiction by Enhancing Labeling Opioids Act so that any new label would not inappropriately refer to buprenorphine Discussions with Congressional offices regarding prescriber education, substance use disorder curricula grants, and opioid analgesics prescription limiation provisions in conjunction with the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act Supported and provided technical assistance regarding the re-introduction of the Medication Access and Trainng Expansion Act of 2021 (HR 2067) and supported its simultaneous passage with the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 1384) Suggested grant eligibility and Medicaid and Medicare related changes regarding provider reimbursement bump and substance use disorder coverage in conjunction with the possible reintroduction of the CARE Act of 2021. Supported passage of the Medicaid Reentry Act (HR 955/S 285) and its inclusion in the American Rescue Plan Discussion with ONDCP staff regarding drug policy priorities in 2021 Advocated for creation of a new safe harbor provision to the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute to protect the use of cash and cash-equivalent payments offered as part of contingency management in the treatment of substance use disorders Supported the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, which would require group health plans and insurers to cover mental health and addiction telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency Advocated for increased FY 22 appropriations for HRSA's Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Training Demonstration program, SAMHSA's expansion of practitioner education grant program, and HRSA's Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Workforce Loan Repayment Program, among other SUD workforce-related appropriation increases in conjunction with other coalitions Supprted the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act and increased appropriations for the CDC regarding tobacco prevention and cessation activities Supported the Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act, which would increase the number of Medicare GME slots by 14,000 over 7 years Advocated for changes to a draft opioid treatment program bill to make permanent certain COVID-19 flexibilities allowed to states for unsupervised doses, as well as "time in treatment" regulatory changes and to permit pharmacy dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder treatment for certain experienced cohorts of physician prescribers Advocated for new provisions in the American Rescue Treatment Act regarding increasing Medicaid reimbursment for addiction treatment providers

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Opposed passage of the MORE Act H.R. 3884, which would, among other things, remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances under the CSA. Provided comments on a draft Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) bill Provided comments on CARA 2.0 legislation, S. 5000, related to prescriber education and curricula grants Joined coalition letter to FDA urging the Commissioner to commence rulemaking to prohibit menthol as characterizing flavor in cigarettes Discussions regarding draft legislation on Medicaid reimbursement for addition treatment providers and repeal of the IMD exclusion in Medicaid for residential addiction treatment Discussions regarding the EASY MAT Act, HR 2281, CBO score Submitted letter of support for S. 4612, the Methamphetamine Response Act, which would declare methamphetamine an emerging drug threst

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Opposed passage of the MORE Act H.R. 3884, which would, among other things, remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances under the CSA. Provided comments on a draft Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) bill Provided comments on CARA 2.0 legislation, S. 5000, related to prescriber education and curricula grants Joined coalition letter to FDA urging the Commissioner to commence rulemaking to prohibit menthol as characterizing flavor in cigarettes Discussions regarding draft legislation on Medicaid reimbursement for addition treatment providers and repeal of the IMD exclusion in Medicaid for residential addiction treatment Discussions regarding the EASY MAT Act, HR 2281, CBO score Submitted letter of support for S. 4612, the Methamphetamine Response Act, which would declare methamphetamine an emerging drug threst

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Opposed passage of the MORE Act H.R. 3884, which would, among other things, remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances under the CSA. Provided comments on a draft Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) bill Provided comments on CARA 2.0 legislation, S. 5000, related to prescriber education and curricula grants Joined coalition letter to FDA urging the Commissioner to commence rulemaking to prohibit menthol as characterizing flavor in cigarettes Discussions regarding draft legislation on Medicaid reimbursement for addition treatment providers and repeal of the IMD exclusion in Medicaid for residential addiction treatment Discussions regarding the EASY MAT Act, HR 2281, CBO score Submitted letter of support for S. 4612, the Methamphetamine Response Act, which would declare methamphetamine an emerging drug threst

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Opposed passage of the MORE Act H.R. 3884, which would, among other things, remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances under the CSA. Provided comments on a draft Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) bill Provided comments on CARA 2.0 legislation, S. 5000, related to prescriber education and curricula grants Joined coalition letter to FDA urging the Commissioner to commence rulemaking to prohibit menthol as characterizing flavor in cigarettes Discussions regarding draft legislation on Medicaid reimbursement for addition treatment providers and repeal of the IMD exclusion in Medicaid for residential addiction treatment Discussions regarding the EASY MAT Act, HR 2281, CBO score Submitted letter of support for S. 4612, the Methamphetamine Response Act, which would declare methamphetamine an emerging drug threst

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Opposed passage of the MORE Act H.R. 3884, which would, among other things, remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances under the CSA. Provided comments on a draft Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) bill Provided comments on CARA 2.0 legislation, S. 5000, related to prescriber education and curricula grants Joined coalition letter to FDA urging the Commissioner to commence rulemaking to prohibit menthol as characterizing flavor in cigarettes Discussions regarding draft legislation on Medicaid reimbursement for addition treatment providers and repeal of the IMD exclusion in Medicaid for residential addiction treatment Discussions regarding the EASY MAT Act, HR 2281, CBO score Submitted letter of support for S. 4612, the Methamphetamine Response Act, which would declare methamphetamine an emerging drug threst

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Submitted comments on the Department of Labors (DOL) proposed update to the 2020 MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool and commended DOL for the updates to the Self-Compliance Tool, while offering several detailed recommendations to clarify and strengthen the tool. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, requesting his support for a waiver of at least two years of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Civil Monetary Penalties as applied to the implementation of contingency management for the treatment of addiction. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Supported House Resolution 1057 that would express the sense of the House of Representatives that investments in mental health care and substance use disorder care are necessary to address the high prevalence of those suffering from behavioral health conditions. It also recognizes the need for health care reform to integrate mental health care and substance use disorder treatment in the health care system. Supported HR 7859, the Stregthening Behavioral Health Supports for Schools Act, that would establish in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration a Center for School Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Informational discussions with CMS regarding coverage of digital therapeutics for addiction treatment

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Submitted comments on the Department of Labors (DOL) proposed update to the 2020 MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool and commended DOL for the updates to the Self-Compliance Tool, while offering several detailed recommendations to clarify and strengthen the tool. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, requesting his support for a waiver of at least two years of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Civil Monetary Penalties as applied to the implementation of contingency management for the treatment of addiction. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Supported House Resolution 1057 that would express the sense of the House of Representatives that investments in mental health care and substance use disorder care are necessary to address the high prevalence of those suffering from behavioral health conditions. It also recognizes the need for health care reform to integrate mental health care and substance use disorder treatment in the health care system. Supported HR 7859, the Stregthening Behavioral Health Supports for Schools Act, that would establish in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration a Center for School Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Informational discussions with CMS regarding coverage of digital therapeutics for addiction treatment

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Submitted comments on the Department of Labors (DOL) proposed update to the 2020 MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool and commended DOL for the updates to the Self-Compliance Tool, while offering several detailed recommendations to clarify and strengthen the tool. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, requesting his support for a waiver of at least two years of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Civil Monetary Penalties as applied to the implementation of contingency management for the treatment of addiction. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Supported House Resolution 1057 that would express the sense of the House of Representatives that investments in mental health care and substance use disorder care are necessary to address the high prevalence of those suffering from behavioral health conditions. It also recognizes the need for health care reform to integrate mental health care and substance use disorder treatment in the health care system. Supported HR 7859, the Stregthening Behavioral Health Supports for Schools Act, that would establish in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration a Center for School Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Informational discussions with CMS regarding coverage of digital therapeutics for addiction treatment

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Submitted comments on the Department of Labors (DOL) proposed update to the 2020 MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool and commended DOL for the updates to the Self-Compliance Tool, while offering several detailed recommendations to clarify and strengthen the tool. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, requesting his support for a waiver of at least two years of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Civil Monetary Penalties as applied to the implementation of contingency management for the treatment of addiction. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Supported House Resolution 1057 that would express the sense of the House of Representatives that investments in mental health care and substance use disorder care are necessary to address the high prevalence of those suffering from behavioral health conditions. It also recognizes the need for health care reform to integrate mental health care and substance use disorder treatment in the health care system. Supported HR 7859, the Stregthening Behavioral Health Supports for Schools Act, that would establish in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration a Center for School Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Informational discussions with CMS regarding coverage of digital therapeutics for addiction treatment

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported HR 4974/S 4640: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported HR 7593/S 4103, the TREATS Act, that would increase the use of telehealth for substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes Advocated for at least $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19, as well as direct funding from SAMHSA to opioid treatment programs and qualified practice settings Advocated for an increase in the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid as a result of COVID-19 Supported the Improving Medicaid Programs Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing (IMPROVE) Addiction Care Act which would require state Medicaid programs to use their existing drug utilization review (DUR) programs to increase access to addiction treatment and boost safeguards for those on Medicaid who have experienced a non-fatal, opioid-related overdose. Opposed passage of H.R. 884 / S. 2772, the Medicare Mental Health Access Act, which would change the definition of physician under the Medicare program to include clinical psychologists. Supported the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (S.4349). The legislation would greatly reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals. Submitted comments on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment (Value in Treatment) Demonstration design. The 4-year demonstration program was authorized by section 6042 of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Supported additional research funding for NIAAA to study alcohol use related to the impact of COVID-19 Submitted comments on the proposed 2021 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (MPFS). Comments stressed the importance of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services altering the MPFS to expand access to treatment for as many beneficiaries suffering from substance use disorder (SUD) as possible by introducing new codes for telehealth, expanding the range of eligible disorders for the billing of certain bundled payments, and empowering ED clinicians through the creation of a new code. Submitted its response to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Request for Information (RFI) on Electronic Prescribing of Controlled Substances (EPCS). The RFI solicited feedback from stakeholders about whether CMS should include exceptions to the electronic prescribing of controlled substances and under what circumstances, and whether CMS should impose penalties for noncompliance with this mandate in its rulemaking, and what those penalties should be. Submitted response to CMS supporting EPCS as a way to assure quality and reduce errors and fraud in the transmission of prescriptions from the prescribing health care practitioner to the dispensing pharmacist but recommending CMS consider the financial impact of this requirement on small practices that do not yet have electronic systems in place that allow for EPCS, and extend the waiver timeline as well as provide additional resources or incentives for these practices to adopt such technology. Submitted comments on the Department of Labors (DOL) proposed update to the 2020 MHPAEA Self-Compliance Tool and commended DOL for the updates to the Self-Compliance Tool, while offering several detailed recommendations to clarify and strengthen the tool. Urged Senate leadership to include $58 million for syringe services programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction service providers in the next COVID relief package. Supported H.R. 7286, the Quit Because of COVID-19 Act. This legislation would ensure that all Medicaid and Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees have access to the full array of evidence-based tobacco cessation treatments. Sent a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, requesting his support for a waiver of at least two years of the Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) interpretation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and Civil Monetary Penalties as applied to the implementation of contingency management for the treatment of addiction. Supported includsion of S. 348, the Resident Physician Shortage Act, in the next COVID supplemental package Supported House Resolution 1057 that would express the sense of the House of Representatives that investments in mental health care and substance use disorder care are necessary to address the high prevalence of those suffering from behavioral health conditions. It also recognizes the need for health care reform to integrate mental health care and substance use disorder treatment in the health care system. Supported HR 7859, the Stregthening Behavioral Health Supports for Schools Act, that would establish in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration a Center for School Behavioral Health Technical Assistance Informational discussions with CMS regarding coverage of digital therapeutics for addiction treatment

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities Advocated for eventual filing of the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act (S. 4103). For purposes of prescribing Schedule III and IV medications, including buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, the TREATS Act would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement. The TREATS Act would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, substance use disorder telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities Advocated for eventual filing of the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act (S. 4103). For purposes of prescribing Schedule III and IV medications, including buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, the TREATS Act would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement. The TREATS Act would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, substance use disorder telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities Advocated for eventual filing of the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act (S. 4103). For purposes of prescribing Schedule III and IV medications, including buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, the TREATS Act would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement. The TREATS Act would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, substance use disorder telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities Advocated for eventual filing of the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act (S. 4103). For purposes of prescribing Schedule III and IV medications, including buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, the TREATS Act would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement. The TREATS Act would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, substance use disorder telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities Advocated for eventual filing of the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act (S. 4103). For purposes of prescribing Schedule III and IV medications, including buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder, the TREATS Act would make permanent a new, audio-video, telehealth evaluation exception to the Ryan Haight Acts in-person exam requirement. The TREATS Act would also clarify Medicares continued ability, beyond the COVID-19 public health emergency, to reimburse for audio-only, substance use disorder telehealth services after an in-person or telehealth evaluation

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities

Advocated for FY2021 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, increase in funding for the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, funding for preventive medicine residency programs, and $8.8 billion for discretionary Health Resources and Services Administration programs. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Supported HR 4742, Protecting American Lungs Act, a bill to impose a tax on nicotine used in e-cigarettes. Supported HR 5632, The FDA Accountability for Public Safety Act, which would require the FDA Commissioner to make the final decision on drug approvals if the advisory committee advises against approval, among other things. Advocated for the addiction of a Medicaid Provider Status requirement on any new State Opioid Response Grant funding Advocated for the use of audio-visual telehealth for initation of new OTP patients to be treated with methadone Advocated for an increase in the DATA 2000 waiver patient limit Advocated for telehealth buprenorphine initiation as an exception to Ryan Haight Advocated for addiction CMS guidance and coverage related to telehealth Advocated to allow Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) to operate mobile units without requiring them to obtain a separate registration as well as more flexibility regarding take-home medications dispensed from an OTP Advocated for $38.5B in emergency relief funds for mental health disorder and addiction treatment providers as a result of losses suffered due to COVID-19 Advocated for inclusion of provisions in HR 748 of the CARES Act, related to the Opioid Workforce Act, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Disorder Treatment, Medicaid Reentry, emergency health care provider relief funds, reform of 42 CFR Part 2, amont other ASAM priorities

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Submitted comments on amendments to regulations under the Federal anti-kickback statute (AKS). The proposed amendments would modify and add new safe harbors under the statute and exceptions to the beneficiary inducements civil monetary penalty definition of remuneration to foster arrangements that would promote care coordination and advance the delivery of value-based care while also protecting patients and taxpayer dollars against harms caused by fraud and abuse. Supported H.Res. 714: Recognizing addiction as a disease and supporting efforts to prevent, treat, and destigmatize substance use disorder and addiction. Submitted a response to a request for information (RFI) regarding substance use disorder (SUD) treatment by Representatives Greg Walden, Michael Burgess, and Brett Guthrie, Republican leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The RFI focused on challenges, failures, fraud and abuse within the SUD treatment industry, as well as opportunities to improve the quality of treatment. Provided comments to ONDCP regarding next National Drug Control Strategy per invitation, focusing on addiction treatment workforce, setting standards, monitoring program effectiveness, coverage for addiction treatment services.

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Submitted comments on amendments to regulations under the Federal anti-kickback statute (AKS). The proposed amendments would modify and add new safe harbors under the statute and exceptions to the beneficiary inducements civil monetary penalty definition of remuneration to foster arrangements that would promote care coordination and advance the delivery of value-based care while also protecting patients and taxpayer dollars against harms caused by fraud and abuse. Supported H.Res. 714: Recognizing addiction as a disease and supporting efforts to prevent, treat, and destigmatize substance use disorder and addiction. Submitted a response to a request for information (RFI) regarding substance use disorder (SUD) treatment by Representatives Greg Walden, Michael Burgess, and Brett Guthrie, Republican leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The RFI focused on challenges, failures, fraud and abuse within the SUD treatment industry, as well as opportunities to improve the quality of treatment. Provided comments to ONDCP regarding next National Drug Control Strategy per invitation, focusing on addiction treatment workforce, setting standards, monitoring program effectiveness, coverage for addiction treatment services.

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Submitted comments on amendments to regulations under the Federal anti-kickback statute (AKS). The proposed amendments would modify and add new safe harbors under the statute and exceptions to the beneficiary inducements civil monetary penalty definition of remuneration to foster arrangements that would promote care coordination and advance the delivery of value-based care while also protecting patients and taxpayer dollars against harms caused by fraud and abuse. Supported H.Res. 714: Recognizing addiction as a disease and supporting efforts to prevent, treat, and destigmatize substance use disorder and addiction. Submitted a response to a request for information (RFI) regarding substance use disorder (SUD) treatment by Representatives Greg Walden, Michael Burgess, and Brett Guthrie, Republican leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The RFI focused on challenges, failures, fraud and abuse within the SUD treatment industry, as well as opportunities to improve the quality of treatment. Provided comments to ONDCP regarding next National Drug Control Strategy per invitation, focusing on addiction treatment workforce, setting standards, monitoring program effectiveness, coverage for addiction treatment services.

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Submitted comments on amendments to regulations under the Federal anti-kickback statute (AKS). The proposed amendments would modify and add new safe harbors under the statute and exceptions to the beneficiary inducements civil monetary penalty definition of remuneration to foster arrangements that would promote care coordination and advance the delivery of value-based care while also protecting patients and taxpayer dollars against harms caused by fraud and abuse. Supported H.Res. 714: Recognizing addiction as a disease and supporting efforts to prevent, treat, and destigmatize substance use disorder and addiction. Submitted a response to a request for information (RFI) regarding substance use disorder (SUD) treatment by Representatives Greg Walden, Michael Burgess, and Brett Guthrie, Republican leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The RFI focused on challenges, failures, fraud and abuse within the SUD treatment industry, as well as opportunities to improve the quality of treatment. Provided comments to ONDCP regarding next National Drug Control Strategy per invitation, focusing on addiction treatment workforce, setting standards, monitoring program effectiveness, coverage for addiction treatment services.

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions)/ S. 2892 - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Supported S.1012/ HR 2062 Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act/ Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act to amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported HR 4974: the MATE Act - to amend the Controlled Substances Act to require physicians and other prescribers of controlled substances to complete training on treating and managing patients with opioid and other substance use disorders (which shall also satisfy certain training required to receive a waiver for dispensing narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment),and for other purposes. Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Supported a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products Submitted comments on amendments to regulations under the Federal anti-kickback statute (AKS). The proposed amendments would modify and add new safe harbors under the statute and exceptions to the beneficiary inducements civil monetary penalty definition of remuneration to foster arrangements that would promote care coordination and advance the delivery of value-based care while also protecting patients and taxpayer dollars against harms caused by fraud and abuse. Supported H.Res. 714: Recognizing addiction as a disease and supporting efforts to prevent, treat, and destigmatize substance use disorder and addiction. Submitted a response to a request for information (RFI) regarding substance use disorder (SUD) treatment by Representatives Greg Walden, Michael Burgess, and Brett Guthrie, Republican leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. The RFI focused on challenges, failures, fraud and abuse within the SUD treatment industry, as well as opportunities to improve the quality of treatment. Provided comments to ONDCP regarding next National Drug Control Strategy per invitation, focusing on addiction treatment workforce, setting standards, monitoring program effectiveness, coverage for addiction treatment services.

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements. Discussions/comments regarding FY20 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, particularly around OTP payment bundle and OUD demonstration payment codes Advocated for filing of the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act which would require every DEA controlled substance prescriber to satisfy an addiction medicine education requirement Submitted a letter in response to a request for comments from the Food and Drug Administration regarding data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. ASAMs letter stressed the importance of conducting additional research on cannabis. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Issued a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment (EFFORT) Act, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Representative Jim Baird (R-IN). The bill would direct the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid use disorder. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Provided comments to SAMHSA's issuance of notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, which would, among other things, modify and modernize 42 CFR Part 2, the regulations that govern confidentiality of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention records. The changes would strengthen the ability of healthcare providers to coordinate care for patients suffering from substance use disorder. Replied to the Request for Information: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement. In its comments, ASAM urged the DEA to investigate whether some of its policies were unintentionally decreasing access to buprenorphine. The letter also discussed opportunities for improved education of the medical community, and possible enhancements to state PDMPs. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Submitted comments on the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. In its comments, ASAM applauded the introduction of two bundled payment structures, one for outpatient treatment of OUD and one for OTPs. However, it also noted that the proposed reimbursement rates were significantly lower than necessary to expand access to MAT. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements. Discussions/comments regarding FY20 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, particularly around OTP payment bundle and OUD demonstration payment codes Advocated for filing of the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act which would require every DEA controlled substance prescriber to satisfy an addiction medicine education requirement Submitted a letter in response to a request for comments from the Food and Drug Administration regarding data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. ASAMs letter stressed the importance of conducting additional research on cannabis. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Issued a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment (EFFORT) Act, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Representative Jim Baird (R-IN). The bill would direct the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid use disorder. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Provided comments to SAMHSA's issuance of notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, which would, among other things, modify and modernize 42 CFR Part 2, the regulations that govern confidentiality of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention records. The changes would strengthen the ability of healthcare providers to coordinate care for patients suffering from substance use disorder. Replied to the Request for Information: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement. In its comments, ASAM urged the DEA to investigate whether some of its policies were unintentionally decreasing access to buprenorphine. The letter also discussed opportunities for improved education of the medical community, and possible enhancements to state PDMPs. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Submitted comments on the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. In its comments, ASAM applauded the introduction of two bundled payment structures, one for outpatient treatment of OUD and one for OTPs. However, it also noted that the proposed reimbursement rates were significantly lower than necessary to expand access to MAT. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements. Discussions/comments regarding FY20 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, particularly around OTP payment bundle and OUD demonstration payment codes Advocated for filing of the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act which would require every DEA controlled substance prescriber to satisfy an addiction medicine education requirement Submitted a letter in response to a request for comments from the Food and Drug Administration regarding data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. ASAMs letter stressed the importance of conducting additional research on cannabis. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Issued a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment (EFFORT) Act, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Representative Jim Baird (R-IN). The bill would direct the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid use disorder. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Provided comments to SAMHSA's issuance of notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, which would, among other things, modify and modernize 42 CFR Part 2, the regulations that govern confidentiality of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention records. The changes would strengthen the ability of healthcare providers to coordinate care for patients suffering from substance use disorder. Replied to the Request for Information: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement. In its comments, ASAM urged the DEA to investigate whether some of its policies were unintentionally decreasing access to buprenorphine. The letter also discussed opportunities for improved education of the medical community, and possible enhancements to state PDMPs. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Submitted comments on the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. In its comments, ASAM applauded the introduction of two bundled payment structures, one for outpatient treatment of OUD and one for OTPs. However, it also noted that the proposed reimbursement rates were significantly lower than necessary to expand access to MAT. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Supported the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements. Discussions/comments regarding FY20 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, particularly around OTP payment bundle and OUD demonstration payment codes Advocated for filing of the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act which would require every DEA controlled substance prescriber to satisfy an addiction medicine education requirement Submitted a letter in response to a request for comments from the Food and Drug Administration regarding data and information about the safety, manufacturing, product quality, marketing, labeling, and sale of products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds. ASAMs letter stressed the importance of conducting additional research on cannabis. Supported the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2019, which would reduce many of the burdensome barriers researchers face when conducting legitimate scientific research involving cannabis. The bill would ensure that a supply of cannabis is continuously available to researchers, streamline various cannabis related application processes that run through the Department of Justice, and require the Department of Health and Human Services to conduct a review of existing research on cannabis. Issued a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment (EFFORT) Act, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Representative Jim Baird (R-IN). The bill would direct the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid use disorder. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Provided comments to SAMHSA's issuance of notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, which would, among other things, modify and modernize 42 CFR Part 2, the regulations that govern confidentiality of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention records. The changes would strengthen the ability of healthcare providers to coordinate care for patients suffering from substance use disorder. Replied to the Request for Information: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement. In its comments, ASAM urged the DEA to investigate whether some of its policies were unintentionally decreasing access to buprenorphine. The letter also discussed opportunities for improved education of the medical community, and possible enhancements to state PDMPs. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Support the Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act), introduced by Senator Dick Durbin and Senator Lisa Murkowski (S. 655) and Representative Diana DeGette and Representative Jamie Raskin (H.R. 1498). The bill would prohibit flavors in e-cigarettes unless the manufacturer demonstrates that a flavor will help with smoking cessation, not increase youth initiation, and not increase the risk of harm to the user. It furthermore prohibits use of flavors in other non-cigarette tobacco products, such as cigars and smokeless tobacco. Opposed the Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019, which would prohibit FDA from promulgating any public health protections related to what the cigar industry calls traditional large and premium cigars. Even the most basic Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements like ingredient disclosure and warning labels as well as enforcement of youth access laws would not apply to these products. Submitted comments on the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. In its comments, ASAM applauded the introduction of two bundled payment structures, one for outpatient treatment of OUD and one for OTPs. However, it also noted that the proposed reimbursement rates were significantly lower than necessary to expand access to MAT. Supported the Reversing the Youth Tobacco Epidemic Act of 2019 (HR 2339) which would, among other things, amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the sale and marketing of tobacco products

Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Supported the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements. Discussions/comments regarding FY20 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, particularly around OTP payment bundle and OUD demonstration payment codes Advocated for filing of the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act which would require every DEA controlled substance prescriber to satisfy an addiction medicine education requirement Issued a conditional endorsement of The Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act, which is contingent upon the elimination of DEA regulations on medications in Schedules III-V that are based on the prescribing intent to treat addiction and a requirement that all DEA controlled substance prescribers complete medical education on addiction. Supported the Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment (EFFORT) Act, sponsored by Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) and Representative Jim Baird (R-IN). The bill would direct the National Science Foundation to support research on opioid use disorder. Supported the Humane Correctional Health Care Act , H.R. 4141/S. 2305, which would repeal the Medicaid Inmate Exclusion. The exclusion strips health coverage from Medicaid enrollees who are involved in the criminal justice system. Provided comments to SAMHSA's issuance of notices of proposed rulemaking (NPRM), Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders, which would, among other things, modify and modernize 42 CFR Part 2, the regulations that govern confidentiality of drug and alcohol treatment and prevention records. The changes would strengthen the ability of healthcare providers to coordinate care for patients suffering from substance use disorder. Replied to the Request for Information: Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement. In its comments, ASAM urged the DEA to investigate whether some of its policies were unintentionally decreasing access to buprenorphine. The letter also discussed opportunities for improved education of the medical community, and possible enhancements to state PDMPs. Supported H.R. 3925, the Reducing Barriers to Substance Use Treatment Act, introduced by Representatives Paul Tonko (D-NY) and David McKinley (R-VA). The bill would prohibit state Medicaid programs, beginning in October 1, 2020, and ending September 30, 2025, from imposing prior authorizations or other types of utilization control policies or procedures on medications approved to treat OUD, including, with respect to the provision of those medications, counseling services and behavioral therapy. Submitted comments on the 2020 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule. In its comments, ASAM applauded the introduction of two bundled payment structures, one for outpatient treatment of OUD and one for OTPs. However, it also noted that the proposed reimbursement rates were significantly lower than necessary to expand access to MAT.

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 2874 and S 1576 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) and 25 other organizations in sending letters expressing support for the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Joined other organizations in sending a letter urging Members of Congress to support the Johns S. McCain Opioid Addiction Prevention Act (S. 724 / H.R. 1614). The legislation would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to 7 days. Supported S 1556 - No Junk Plans Act. This bill would legislatively block implementation of the Trump Administrations Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance rule. This rule loosened restrictions on these plans, allowing enrollees to be on short-term plans for up to a year and renew their short-term plan for up to 3 years. Joined members of the Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 in sending a letter urging addition of the legislative language in S. 1012, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act to the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. S. 1012 would align Part 2 with HIPAA for TPO, and strengthen protections against the use of addiction records in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. In addition, the bill further amplifies patient protections by incorporating antidiscrimination language, significantly enhancing penalties for any breach of a persons substance use record, and adding breach notification requirements. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Joined the Friends of NIDA in sending a letter in support of the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Provided technical assistance and support for new legislation requiring all controlled substance prescribers with a DEA license to become DATA 2000 waiver trained Joined over 75 organizations in sending a letter urging members of Congress to cosponsor The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S.348, H.R. 1763), which would increase the number of residency positions funded by Medicare in hospitals around the country by 15,000 over 5 years. This legislation would work to expand the physician workforce to address alarming projected deficits of physicians in both primary and specialty care. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) in sending a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Budget in support of H.R. 2021 - the Investing for the People Act of 2019. This legislation would raise both the defense and nondefense discretionary caps by $88 billion each in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Joined members of the Tobacco Partners Coalition in sending a letter in response to a request for comment issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The request for comment seeks industry input regarding draft guidance being developed by the FDA on modifications to compliance policy for certain deemed tobacco products. Joined members of the Mental Health Liason Group (MHLG) in sending a letter voicing support for H.R. 1329, the Medicaid Reentry Act. The bill would work to grant Medicaid eligibility to incarcerated individuals 30-days prior to their release. The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019 would exempt some cigars, including some inexpensive, machine-made cigars, from FDA oversight. Advocated that FDA rightly concluded in the final Deeming Rule that there was no public health justification for exempting any cigars from FDA oversight because all cigars pose significant health risks. One difference this year is that the House added language specifying that cigars with flavor additives would not fit the bills definition of a premium cigar. Despite the flavors language, the bill would still exempt some cheap, machine-made cigars that youth are using from FDA oversight. The Senate bill did not include language on flavors. Supported The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act) is legislation that would curb the use of flavors in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars. Supported introduction of legislation to make the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities smoke-free. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements Provided technical assistance regarding Senator Shaheen's Turn the Tide Act which would increase funding to combat the addiction crisis, including efforts to stregthenen the addiction treatment workforce and increase Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment providers

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 2874 and S 1576 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) and 25 other organizations in sending letters expressing support for the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Joined other organizations in sending a letter urging Members of Congress to support the Johns S. McCain Opioid Addiction Prevention Act (S. 724 / H.R. 1614). The legislation would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to 7 days. Supported S 1556 - No Junk Plans Act. This bill would legislatively block implementation of the Trump Administrations Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance rule. This rule loosened restrictions on these plans, allowing enrollees to be on short-term plans for up to a year and renew their short-term plan for up to 3 years. Joined members of the Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 in sending a letter urging addition of the legislative language in S. 1012, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act to the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. S. 1012 would align Part 2 with HIPAA for TPO, and strengthen protections against the use of addiction records in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. In addition, the bill further amplifies patient protections by incorporating antidiscrimination language, significantly enhancing penalties for any breach of a persons substance use record, and adding breach notification requirements. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Joined the Friends of NIDA in sending a letter in support of the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Provided technical assistance and support for new legislation requiring all controlled substance prescribers with a DEA license to become DATA 2000 waiver trained Joined over 75 organizations in sending a letter urging members of Congress to cosponsor The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S.348, H.R. 1763), which would increase the number of residency positions funded by Medicare in hospitals around the country by 15,000 over 5 years. This legislation would work to expand the physician workforce to address alarming projected deficits of physicians in both primary and specialty care. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) in sending a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Budget in support of H.R. 2021 - the Investing for the People Act of 2019. This legislation would raise both the defense and nondefense discretionary caps by $88 billion each in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Joined members of the Tobacco Partners Coalition in sending a letter in response to a request for comment issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The request for comment seeks industry input regarding draft guidance being developed by the FDA on modifications to compliance policy for certain deemed tobacco products. Joined members of the Mental Health Liason Group (MHLG) in sending a letter voicing support for H.R. 1329, the Medicaid Reentry Act. The bill would work to grant Medicaid eligibility to incarcerated individuals 30-days prior to their release. The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019 would exempt some cigars, including some inexpensive, machine-made cigars, from FDA oversight. Advocated that FDA rightly concluded in the final Deeming Rule that there was no public health justification for exempting any cigars from FDA oversight because all cigars pose significant health risks. One difference this year is that the House added language specifying that cigars with flavor additives would not fit the bills definition of a premium cigar. Despite the flavors language, the bill would still exempt some cheap, machine-made cigars that youth are using from FDA oversight. The Senate bill did not include language on flavors. Supported The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act) is legislation that would curb the use of flavors in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars. Supported introduction of legislation to make the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities smoke-free. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements Provided technical assistance regarding Senator Shaheen's Turn the Tide Act which would increase funding to combat the addiction crisis, including efforts to stregthenen the addiction treatment workforce and increase Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment providers

Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 2874 and S 1576 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) and 25 other organizations in sending letters expressing support for the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Joined other organizations in sending a letter urging Members of Congress to support the Johns S. McCain Opioid Addiction Prevention Act (S. 724 / H.R. 1614). The legislation would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to 7 days. Supported S 1556 - No Junk Plans Act. This bill would legislatively block implementation of the Trump Administrations Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance rule. This rule loosened restrictions on these plans, allowing enrollees to be on short-term plans for up to a year and renew their short-term plan for up to 3 years. Joined members of the Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 in sending a letter urging addition of the legislative language in S. 1012, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act to the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. S. 1012 would align Part 2 with HIPAA for TPO, and strengthen protections against the use of addiction records in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. In addition, the bill further amplifies patient protections by incorporating antidiscrimination language, significantly enhancing penalties for any breach of a persons substance use record, and adding breach notification requirements. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Joined over 75 organizations in sending a letter urging members of Congress to cosponsor The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S.348, H.R. 1763), which would increase the number of residency positions funded by Medicare in hospitals around the country by 15,000 over 5 years. This legislation would work to expand the physician workforce to address alarming projected deficits of physicians in both primary and specialty care. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) in sending a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Budget in support of H.R. 2021 - the Investing for the People Act of 2019. This legislation would raise both the defense and nondefense discretionary caps by $88 billion each in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Joined members of the Mental Health Liason Group (MHLG) in sending a letter voicing support for H.R. 1329, the Medicaid Reentry Act. The bill would work to grant Medicaid eligibility to incarcerated individuals 30-days prior to their release. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements Provided technical assistance regarding Senator Shaheen's Turn the Tide Act which would increase funding to combat the addiction crisis, including efforts to stregthenen the addiction treatment workforce and increase Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment providers

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 2874 and S 1576 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) and 25 other organizations in sending letters expressing support for the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Joined other organizations in sending a letter urging Members of Congress to support the Johns S. McCain Opioid Addiction Prevention Act (S. 724 / H.R. 1614). The legislation would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to 7 days. Supported S 1556 - No Junk Plans Act. This bill would legislatively block implementation of the Trump Administrations Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance rule. This rule loosened restrictions on these plans, allowing enrollees to be on short-term plans for up to a year and renew their short-term plan for up to 3 years. Joined members of the Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 in sending a letter urging addition of the legislative language in S. 1012, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act to the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. S. 1012 would align Part 2 with HIPAA for TPO, and strengthen protections against the use of addiction records in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. In addition, the bill further amplifies patient protections by incorporating antidiscrimination language, significantly enhancing penalties for any breach of a persons substance use record, and adding breach notification requirements. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Joined the Friends of NIDA in sending a letter in support of the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Provided technical assistance and support for new legislation requiring all controlled substance prescribers with a DEA license to become DATA 2000 waiver trained Joined over 75 organizations in sending a letter urging members of Congress to cosponsor The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S.348, H.R. 1763), which would increase the number of residency positions funded by Medicare in hospitals around the country by 15,000 over 5 years. This legislation would work to expand the physician workforce to address alarming projected deficits of physicians in both primary and specialty care. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) in sending a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Budget in support of H.R. 2021 - the Investing for the People Act of 2019. This legislation would raise both the defense and nondefense discretionary caps by $88 billion each in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Joined members of the Tobacco Partners Coalition in sending a letter in response to a request for comment issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The request for comment seeks industry input regarding draft guidance being developed by the FDA on modifications to compliance policy for certain deemed tobacco products. Joined members of the Mental Health Liason Group (MHLG) in sending a letter voicing support for H.R. 1329, the Medicaid Reentry Act. The bill would work to grant Medicaid eligibility to incarcerated individuals 30-days prior to their release. The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019 would exempt some cigars, including some inexpensive, machine-made cigars, from FDA oversight. Advocated that FDA rightly concluded in the final Deeming Rule that there was no public health justification for exempting any cigars from FDA oversight because all cigars pose significant health risks. One difference this year is that the House added language specifying that cigars with flavor additives would not fit the bills definition of a premium cigar. Despite the flavors language, the bill would still exempt some cheap, machine-made cigars that youth are using from FDA oversight. The Senate bill did not include language on flavors. Supported The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act) is legislation that would curb the use of flavors in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars. Supported introduction of legislation to make the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities smoke-free. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements Provided technical assistance regarding Senator Shaheen's Turn the Tide Act which would increase funding to combat the addiction crisis, including efforts to stregthenen the addiction treatment workforce and increase Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment providers

Advocated for FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs; report language regarding national standards for treatment programs Supported HR 3496 & S 1983 CREATE Opportunities Act - grants to, and cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Supported HR 2569 & S 1365 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Supported HR 3414 (and prior versions) - Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Supported HR 2874 and S 1576 - Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Supported HR 3165 and S 1737 - Mental Health Parity Compliance Act - strengthen parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. Advocated for its inclusion in the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. Supported S 873 and HR 1879 - Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. Supported H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. Supported H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. Supported H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported S 824/HR 1767 - Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) and 25 other organizations in sending letters expressing support for the Parity Enforcement Act (HR 2848). This legislation would give the U.S. Department of Labor authority to levy civil monetary penalties against health insurers and plan sponsors for parity violations of the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Supported HR 2734/S 1448 - Safer Prescribing of Controlled Substances Act. The bill calls for mandatory education for practitioners licensed to dispense or conduct research with controlled substances in schedule II, III, IV, or V. The education, which would be required as part of a prescribers DEA licensure registration and renewal, will focus on best practices for pain management and alternative non-opioid therapies for pain, methods for diagnosing and treating a substance use disorder, linking patients to evidence-based treatment for substance use disorder, and tools to manage adherence and diversion of controlled substances, including Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. Joined other organizations in sending a letter urging Members of Congress to support the Johns S. McCain Opioid Addiction Prevention Act (S. 724 / H.R. 1614). The legislation would limit initial opioid prescriptions for acute pain to 7 days. Supported S 1556 - No Junk Plans Act. This bill would legislatively block implementation of the Trump Administrations Short-Term, Limited Duration Insurance rule. This rule loosened restrictions on these plans, allowing enrollees to be on short-term plans for up to a year and renew their short-term plan for up to 3 years. Joined members of the Partnership to Amend 42 CFR Part 2 in sending a letter urging addition of the legislative language in S. 1012, the Protecting Jessica Grubbs Legacy Act to the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019. S. 1012 would align Part 2 with HIPAA for TPO, and strengthen protections against the use of addiction records in criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. In addition, the bill further amplifies patient protections by incorporating antidiscrimination language, significantly enhancing penalties for any breach of a persons substance use record, and adding breach notification requirements. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services/SAMHSA Advocated for reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Advocated for clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Joined the Friends of NIDA in sending a letter in support of the Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act. This legislation would enable the expansion of the scientific research base on marijuana to answer critical questions, such as identifying potential therapeutic effects and possible public health consequences. Provided technical assistance and support for new legislation requiring all controlled substance prescribers with a DEA license to become DATA 2000 waiver trained Joined over 75 organizations in sending a letter urging members of Congress to cosponsor The Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2019 (S.348, H.R. 1763), which would increase the number of residency positions funded by Medicare in hospitals around the country by 15,000 over 5 years. This legislation would work to expand the physician workforce to address alarming projected deficits of physicians in both primary and specialty care. Joined members of the Mental Health Liaison Group (MHLG) in sending a letter to the leadership of the House Committee on Budget in support of H.R. 2021 - the Investing for the People Act of 2019. This legislation would raise both the defense and nondefense discretionary caps by $88 billion each in Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021. Joined members of the Tobacco Partners Coalition in sending a letter in response to a request for comment issued by the Food and Drug Administration. The request for comment seeks industry input regarding draft guidance being developed by the FDA on modifications to compliance policy for certain deemed tobacco products. Joined members of the Mental Health Liason Group (MHLG) in sending a letter voicing support for H.R. 1329, the Medicaid Reentry Act. The bill would work to grant Medicaid eligibility to incarcerated individuals 30-days prior to their release. The Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2019 would exempt some cigars, including some inexpensive, machine-made cigars, from FDA oversight. Advocated that FDA rightly concluded in the final Deeming Rule that there was no public health justification for exempting any cigars from FDA oversight because all cigars pose significant health risks. One difference this year is that the House added language specifying that cigars with flavor additives would not fit the bills definition of a premium cigar. Despite the flavors language, the bill would still exempt some cheap, machine-made cigars that youth are using from FDA oversight. The Senate bill did not include language on flavors. Supported The Stopping Appealing Flavors in E-Cigarettes for Kids Act (SAFE Kids Act) is legislation that would curb the use of flavors in tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and cigars. Supported introduction of legislation to make the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities smoke-free. Discussions with CMS regarding barriers to accessing addiction care in Medicare and Medicaid and suggestions for improvements Provided technical assistance regarding Senator Shaheen's Turn the Tide Act which would increase funding to combat the addiction crisis, including efforts to stregthenen the addiction treatment workforce and increase Medicaid reimbursement for addiction treatment providers

Re-introduction and modifications of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Re-introduction of the Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Re-introduction of the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Re-introduction of the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported coalition comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on the draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The letter recommended changes to current regulations so that 42 CFR Part 2 is aligned with HIPAA to allow for the transmission of Part 2 records without written consent for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Reintroduction and passage of the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1905/H.R. 3931). This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Submitted coalition comments to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. The letter urged the initiation of a separate rulemaking process for Part 2 modernization to allow for better coordination, safer and more effective treatment for patients, and strong patient protections. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs Re-introduction and modifications of the Corrections Public Health and Community Re-entry Act of 2018 - authorizes the National Institute of Corrections to make grants to, and enter cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Re-introduction and modifications of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Re-introduction of the Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Re-introduction of the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Re-introduction of the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported coalition comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on the draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The letter recommended changes to current regulations so that 42 CFR Part 2 is aligned with HIPAA to allow for the transmission of Part 2 records without written consent for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Reintroduction and passage of the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1905/H.R. 3931). This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Submitted coalition comments to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. The letter urged the initiation of a separate rulemaking process for Part 2 modernization to allow for better coordination, safer and more effective treatment for patients, and strong patient protections. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services Sent a letter to the FDA regarding the need to expand access to safe and effective treatment options for substance use disorder to help advance efforts to address the nations opioid overdose epidemic. The letter asks that the FDA take into consideration the need for access to multiple treatment options for clinicians and their patients as they evaluate applications for new products to treat substance use disorder. Joined a group letter to leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government expressing concern about the President's Fiscal Year 2020 request to cut the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) by more than 90, including removing the Drug Free Communities (DFC) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs. Joined coalition letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies to approve the authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administration to oversee tobacco products. These user fees will give FDA the resources it needs to protect kids and reduce the serious health and economic harms that tobacco products cause. Joined letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Office on Smoking and Health by $100 million in FY2020, for a total of $310 million. The letters emphasize how this increase is needed to respond to soaring e-cigarette usage rates among youth and the devastating toll that tobacco continues to take on our nations health. Reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs Re-introduction and modifications of the Corrections Public Health and Community Re-entry Act of 2018 - authorizes the National Institute of Corrections to make grants to, and enter cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Re-introduction and modifications of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Re-introduction of the Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Re-introduction of the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Re-introduction of the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported coalition comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on the draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The letter recommended changes to current regulations so that 42 CFR Part 2 is aligned with HIPAA to allow for the transmission of Part 2 records without written consent for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Reintroduction and passage of the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1905/H.R. 3931). This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Submitted coalition comments to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. The letter urged the initiation of a separate rulemaking process for Part 2 modernization to allow for better coordination, safer and more effective treatment for patients, and strong patient protections. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services Sent a letter to the FDA regarding the need to expand access to safe and effective treatment options for substance use disorder to help advance efforts to address the nations opioid overdose epidemic. The letter asks that the FDA take into consideration the need for access to multiple treatment options for clinicians and their patients as they evaluate applications for new products to treat substance use disorder. Joined a group letter to leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government expressing concern about the President's Fiscal Year 2020 request to cut the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) by more than 90, including removing the Drug Free Communities (DFC) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs. Joined coalition letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies to approve the authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administration to oversee tobacco products. These user fees will give FDA the resources it needs to protect kids and reduce the serious health and economic harms that tobacco products cause. Joined letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Office on Smoking and Health by $100 million in FY2020, for a total of $310 million. The letters emphasize how this increase is needed to respond to soaring e-cigarette usage rates among youth and the devastating toll that tobacco continues to take on our nations health. Reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs Re-introduction and modifications of the Corrections Public Health and Community Re-entry Act of 2018 - authorizes the National Institute of Corrections to make grants to, and enter cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Re-introduction and modifications of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Re-introduction of the Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Re-introduction of the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Re-introduction of the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported coalition comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on the draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The letter recommended changes to current regulations so that 42 CFR Part 2 is aligned with HIPAA to allow for the transmission of Part 2 records without written consent for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Reintroduction and passage of the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1905/H.R. 3931). This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Submitted coalition comments to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. The letter urged the initiation of a separate rulemaking process for Part 2 modernization to allow for better coordination, safer and more effective treatment for patients, and strong patient protections. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services Sent a letter to the FDA regarding the need to expand access to safe and effective treatment options for substance use disorder to help advance efforts to address the nations opioid overdose epidemic. The letter asks that the FDA take into consideration the need for access to multiple treatment options for clinicians and their patients as they evaluate applications for new products to treat substance use disorder. Joined a group letter to leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government expressing concern about the President's Fiscal Year 2020 request to cut the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) by more than 90, including removing the Drug Free Communities (DFC) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs. Joined coalition letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies to approve the authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administration to oversee tobacco products. These user fees will give FDA the resources it needs to protect kids and reduce the serious health and economic harms that tobacco products cause. Joined letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Office on Smoking and Health by $100 million in FY2020, for a total of $310 million. The letters emphasize how this increase is needed to respond to soaring e-cigarette usage rates among youth and the devastating toll that tobacco continues to take on our nations health. Reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

FY2020 Labor HHS Appropriations bill - appropriations related to strengthening the addiction services workforce, including full funding of the loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce authorized in the SUPPORT Act, the mental and substance use disorders training demonstration program authorized in 21st Century Cures Act, and preventive medicine residency programs Re-introduction and modifications of the Corrections Public Health and Community Re-entry Act of 2018 - authorizes the National Institute of Corrections to make grants to, and enter cooperative agreements with, state and local governments to develop, implement, or expand medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who are addicted to opioids. Re-introduction and modifications of the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - to provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families. Advocated for additional evidence-based standards. Re-introduction of the Opioid Workforce Act of 2018 - bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain management programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period. Re-introduction of the Behavioral Health Coverage Transparency Act which would require issuers to disclose the analysis they perform in making parity determinations; require federal regulators to conduct random audits; and require the federal parity agencies to review denial rates for mental health versus medical claims. Additionally, it would create a central online portal so that people can access all information as a one-stop shop, and submit complaints and violations. Re-introduction of the Stabilize Medicaid and CHIP Coverage Act which would provide for 12 months of continuous enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP to ensure better access to care and reduce churn. This bill is not specific to mental health, but it would provide significant stability to those patients and providers. H.R.2062/S. 1012 - To amend the Public Health Service Act to protect the confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records. H.R.1920 - Medicaid Bump Act - To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide a higher Federal matching rate for increased expenditures under Medicaid for mental and behavioral health services, and for other purposes. H.R.1329 - Medicaid Reentry Act - This bill allows Medicaid payment for medical services furnished to an incarcerated individual during the 30-day period preceding the individual's release. Supported coalition comments to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology on the draft Strategy on Reducing Regulatory and Administrative Burden Relating to the Use of Health IT and EHRs. The letter recommended changes to current regulations so that 42 CFR Part 2 is aligned with HIPAA to allow for the transmission of Part 2 records without written consent for the purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations. Reintroduction and passage of the Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Expansion Act (S. 1905/H.R. 3931). This legislation would extend and expand the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) demonstration, which is set to end in mid-2019. Submitted coalition comments to the Director, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regarding the Request for Information on Modifying HIPAA Rules to Improve Coordinated Care. The letter urged the initiation of a separate rulemaking process for Part 2 modernization to allow for better coordination, safer and more effective treatment for patients, and strong patient protections. Advocated for further alignment of Part 2 with HIPAA for purposes of treatment, payment, and health care operations with the Department of Health and Human Services Sent a letter to the FDA regarding the need to expand access to safe and effective treatment options for substance use disorder to help advance efforts to address the nations opioid overdose epidemic. The letter asks that the FDA take into consideration the need for access to multiple treatment options for clinicians and their patients as they evaluate applications for new products to treat substance use disorder. Joined a group letter to leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government expressing concern about the President's Fiscal Year 2020 request to cut the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) by more than 90, including removing the Drug Free Communities (DFC) and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) programs. Joined coalition letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies to approve the authorized level of user fees for the Food and Drug Administration to oversee tobacco products. These user fees will give FDA the resources it needs to protect kids and reduce the serious health and economic harms that tobacco products cause. Joined letters urging the leadership of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to increase funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Office on Smoking and Health by $100 million in FY2020, for a total of $310 million. The letters emphasize how this increase is needed to respond to soaring e-cigarette usage rates among youth and the devastating toll that tobacco continues to take on our nations health. Reduction of barriers to buprenorphine related to treatment of hospitalized patients. Technical assistance regarding implementation of CMS related provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act Clarification/guidance regarding DATA Waiver and education provisions in the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.N/A 13.N/A 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.N/A 13.N/A 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.N/A 13.N/A 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.N/A 13.N/A 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 13.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 13.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 13.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 4.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 5.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 6.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 7.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 8.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 9.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 11.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 12.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 13.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 14.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 15.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 16.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 17.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 18. S.3462 - Improving Coverage for Substance Use Disorder Recovery Expansion Act-amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with the option to provide medical assistance for substance use disorder treatment services to individuals between the ages of 21 and 64 with substance use disorders, and for other purposes 19. H.R. 3545/6082 - the Overdose Prevention and Patient Safety Act amends the Public Health Service Act to align federal privacy standards for substance use disorder (SUD) patient records more closely with standards under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 20. Provided technical assistance on draft bills regarding grants for medication-assisted treatment/recovery programs for incarcerated individuals 21. Advocated for techinical changes to allow DATA waivered practitioners to treat hospitalized patients with OUD as a primary diagnosis with medications via hospital orders/controlled substance stock 22. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs 23. Advocated for rapid healthcare response teams after clinics are shut down; DEA agent education around buprenorphine prescribing

1.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 2.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 3. Advocated for eligibility clarification to include addiction medicine physicians under current loan repayment/scholarship programs

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2406/H.R. 5002 - Advancing Cutting Edge Research Act - expand the unique research initiatives authority of the National Institutes of Health 4.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 5.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 6.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 7.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 8.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 9.S. 2589/H.R. 5327 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act - amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to create comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 11.H.R. 5261 - TEACH to Combat Addiction Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for regional centers of excellence in substance use disorder education, and for other purposes 12.S. 2610/H.R. 5176 - Preventing Overdoses While in Emergency Rooms (POWER) Act - require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide coordinated care to patients who have experienced a non-fatal overdose after emergency room discharge, and for other purposes 13.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 14.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 15.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 16.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 17.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 18.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 19.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 20.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 21.S. 2456/H.R. 5311 - CARA 2.0 Act - reauthorize and expand the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 22.S. 2700/ H.R. 5545 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families 23.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 24.S. 1169 - Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act - amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with an option to provide medical assistance to individuals between the ages of 22 and 64 for inpatient services to treat substance use disorders at certain facilities, and for other purposes 25.Commented on draft legislation to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to prohibit the imposition of prior authorization requirements with respect to a certain supply of a prescription drug used for the treatment of a substance use disorder, and for other purposes 26.S. 1276 - Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act - require the Attorney General to make a determination as to whether cannabidiol should be a controlled substance and listed in a schedule under the Controlled Substances Act and to expand research on the potential medical benefits of cannabidiol and other marihuana components

1.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 2.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2406/H.R. 5002 - Advancing Cutting Edge Research Act - expand the unique research initiatives authority of the National Institutes of Health 4.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 5.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 6.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 7.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 8.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 9.S. 2589/H.R. 5327 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act - amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to create comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 11.H.R. 5261 - TEACH to Combat Addiction Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for regional centers of excellence in substance use disorder education, and for other purposes 12.S. 2610/H.R. 5176 - Preventing Overdoses While in Emergency Rooms (POWER) Act - require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide coordinated care to patients who have experienced a non-fatal overdose after emergency room discharge, and for other purposes 13.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 14.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 15.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 16.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 17.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 18.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 19.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 20.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 21.S. 2456/H.R. 5311 - CARA 2.0 Act - reauthorize and expand the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 22.S. 2700/ H.R. 5545 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families 23.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 24.S. 1169 - Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act - amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with an option to provide medical assistance to individuals between the ages of 22 and 64 for inpatient services to treat substance use disorders at certain facilities, and for other purposes 25.Commented on draft legislation to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to prohibit the imposition of prior authorization requirements with respect to a certain supply of a prescription drug used for the treatment of a substance use disorder, and for other purposes 26.S. 1276 - Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act - require the Attorney General to make a determination as to whether cannabidiol should be a controlled substance and listed in a schedule under the Controlled Substances Act and to expand research on the potential medical benefits of cannabidiol and other marihuana components

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2406/H.R. 5002 - Advancing Cutting Edge Research Act - expand the unique research initiatives authority of the National Institutes of Health 4.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 5.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 6.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 7.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 8.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 9.S. 2589/H.R. 5327 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act - amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to create comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 11.H.R. 5261 - TEACH to Combat Addiction Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for regional centers of excellence in substance use disorder education, and for other purposes 12.S. 2610/H.R. 5176 - Preventing Overdoses While in Emergency Rooms (POWER) Act - require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide coordinated care to patients who have experienced a non-fatal overdose after emergency room discharge, and for other purposes 13.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 14.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 15.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 16.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 17.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 18.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 19.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 20.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 21.S. 2456/H.R. 5311 - CARA 2.0 Act - reauthorize and expand the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 22.S. 2700/ H.R. 5545 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families 23.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 24.S. 1169 - Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act - amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with an option to provide medical assistance to individuals between the ages of 22 and 64 for inpatient services to treat substance use disorders at certain facilities, and for other purposes 25.Commented on draft legislation to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to prohibit the imposition of prior authorization requirements with respect to a certain supply of a prescription drug used for the treatment of a substance use disorder, and for other purposes 26.S. 1276 - Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act - require the Attorney General to make a determination as to whether cannabidiol should be a controlled substance and listed in a schedule under the Controlled Substances Act and to expand research on the potential medical benefits of cannabidiol and other marihuana components

1.S. 2317/H.R. 3692 - Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act - amend the Controlled Substances Act to provide for additional flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, and for other purposes. 2.H.R. 6 - SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act - provide for opioid use disorder prevention, recovery, and treatment, and for other purposes. 3.S. 2406/H.R. 5002 - Advancing Cutting Edge Research Act - expand the unique research initiatives authority of the National Institutes of Health 4.S. 2608 - Opioid Crisis Response Act - address the opioid crisis 5.H.R. 5605 - Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act - provide for an opioid use disorder treatment demonstration program, and for other purposes 6.H.R. 5797 - Individuals in Medicaid Deserve Care that is Appropriate and Responsible in its Execution Act - provide under Medicaid services for certain individuals with opioid use disorders in institutions for mental diseases. 7.H.R. 5800 - the Medicaid IMD ADDITIONAL INFO Act - require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program. 8.H.R. 5483 - Special Registration for Telemedicine Clarification Act - impose a deadline for the promulgation of interim final regulations in accordance with section 311(h) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 831(h)) specifying the circumstances in which a special registration may be issued to a practitioner to engage in the practice of telemedicine, and for other purposes. 9.S. 2589/H.R. 5327 - Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act - amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to create comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and for other purposes 10.H.R. 5272 - a bill to ensure that programs and activities that are funded by a grant, cooperative agreement, loan, or loan guarantee from the Department of Health and Human Services, and whose purpose is to prevent or treat a mental health or substance use disorder, are evidence-based 11.H.R. 5261 - TEACH to Combat Addiction Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for regional centers of excellence in substance use disorder education, and for other purposes 12.S. 2610/H.R. 5176 - Preventing Overdoses While in Emergency Rooms (POWER) Act - require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide coordinated care to patients who have experienced a non-fatal overdose after emergency room discharge, and for other purposes 13.S. 2524/H.R. 5102, Substance Use Disorder Workforce Loan Repayment Act - amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program for substance use disorder treatment employees, and for other purposes 14.H.R. 4005 - the Medicaid Reentry Act - promote State innovations to ease transitions to the community for individuals who are inmates of a public institution and eligible for medical assistance under the Medicaid program. 15.S. 2253/H.R. 3192 - the CHIP Mental Health Parity Act - amend title XXI of the Social Security Act to ensure access to mental health services for children under the Childrens Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes 16.S. 3158 - FY2019 Labor-HHS Appropriations Act - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 17.House FY 2019 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Related Agencies - making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, and for other purposes 18.S. 2711, the Enhancing Access to Addiction Treatment Act - amend section 303 of the Controlled Substances Act to facilitate waivers of the separate registration requirement for physicians dispensing narcotic drugs to individuals for maintenance treatment or detoxification treatment 19.H.R. 5776 - Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment Act - provide access to Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Medicare through bundled payments made to Opioid Treatment Programs for holistic service 20.S. 2875 - Comprehensive Opioid Management and Bundled Addiction Treatment Act of 2018 - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of certain services furnished by opioid treatment programs, and for other purposes 21.S. 2456/H.R. 5311 - CARA 2.0 Act - reauthorize and expand the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 22.S. 2700/ H.R. 5545 - Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency Act - provide emergency assistance to States, territories, Tribal nations, and local areas affected by the opioid epidemic and to make financial assistance available to States, territories, Tribal nations, local areas, and public or private nonprofit entities to provide for the development, organization, coordination, and operation of more effective and cost efficient systems for the delivery of essential services to individuals with substance use disorder and their families 23.S. 2843/H.R. 5818 - Opioid Workforce Act - amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions to help combat the opioid crisis 24.S. 1169 - Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Recovery Expansion Act - amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide States with an option to provide medical assistance to individuals between the ages of 22 and 64 for inpatient services to treat substance use disorders at certain facilities, and for other purposes 25.Commented on draft legislation to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act and titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to prohibit the imposition of prior authorization requirements with respect to a certain supply of a prescription drug used for the treatment of a substance use disorder, and for other purposes 26.S. 1276 - Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act - require the Attorney General to make a determination as to whether cannabidiol should be a controlled substance and listed in a schedule under the Controlled Substances Act and to expand research on the potential medical benefits of cannabidiol and other marihuana components

Research Funding into Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Addiction and Chronic Pain Health Reform and Parity Implementation and Enforcement Safer Opioid Prescribing Addiction Medicine Education Addiction Medicine Quality Standards and Measures Increasing affordable access to evidence-based addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services Increasing the Addiction Medicine Workforce ALIGNING 42 CFR PART 2 WITH HIPAA

Research Funding into Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Addiction and Chronic Pain Health Reform and Parity Implementation and Enforcement Safer Opioid Prescribing Addiction Medicine Education Addiction Medicine Quality Standards and Measures Increasing affordable access to evidence-based addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services Increasing the Addiction Medicine Workforce ALIGNING 42 CFR PART 2 WITH HIPAA

Research Funding into Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Addiction and Chronic Pain Health Reform and Parity Implementation and Enforcement Safer Opioid Prescribing Addiction Medicine Education Addiction Medicine Quality Standards and Measures Increasing affordable access to evidence-based addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services Increasing the Addiction Medicine Workforce ALIGNING 42 CFR PART 2 WITH HIPAA

Research Funding into Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatments for Addiction and Chronic Pain Health Reform and Parity Implementation and Enforcement Safer Opioid Prescribing Addiction Medicine Education Addiction Medicine Quality Standards and Measures Increasing affordable access to evidence-based addiction prevention, treatment and recovery services Increasing the Addiction Medicine Workforce ALIGNING 42 CFR PART 2 WITH HIPAA