News and Headlines
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Sweeping Bill to Fight Opioid Addiction will be Considered by Senate Health Committee
The U.S. Senate health committee will consider a sweeping bill next week meant to combat the opioid epidemic. The proposal would reauthorize a number of programs first created by the SUPPORT Act, an addiction-focused bill that Congress first passed in 2018.
Many of those programs’ authorizations expired earlier this year, however, leading advocates to worry that lawmakers no longer view the issue as a priority.
If passed, the legislation would mark Capitol Hill’s first major action this year on the addiction crisis. Current data shows that roughly 110,000 Americans are dying of drug overdoses each year. Roughly 85,000 of those overdoses involve opioids.
Still, Congress in recent years has done little to address the crisis. In one notable exception late last year, lawmakers did pass a bill that allowed doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine, a common medication used to treat opioid use disorder, directly to patients without undergoing special training. The new law, however, doesn’t appear to have driven a meaningful increase in the number of prescribers. The updated SUPPORT Act would reauthorize programs that provide funding to community-based organizations working to address the addiction crisis, make permanent certain provisions that expanded access to addiction medications, and expand access to treatment for pregnant women and, separately, incarcerated people. |
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Supreme Court Split on Whether the Sackler Family can be Sued Over Opioid Crisis
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared divided over whether the Sackler family, which made its fortune selling a drug that fueled the nation's opioid epidemic, could be shielded from civil lawsuits by paying $6 billion to victims and drug treatment programs as part of a bankruptcy settlement with the company it once ran. The high court is being asked to decide a question related to bankruptcy law, but just below the surface is a wrenching debate over how much to punish the Sacklers for their role in the crisis -- and whether blowing up the current settlement might jeopardize any payout for tens of thousands of victims and their families. The vast majority of victims support the settlement with Purdue Pharma, the company that made OxyContin and marketed the drug as less addictive than other opioids. But the Justice Department stepped into the case to question whether courts can absolve the Sackler family from future lawsuits − a practice that has been used in major bankruptcies dealing with harms caused by asbestos and silicone breast implants. |
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Dueling proposals emerging to alter Ohio marijuana law going into effect December 7th
Ohio lawmakers are scrambling to make changes to the adult recreational marijuana law approved by 57% of voters in November.
But with the law set to go into effect Thursday, December 7, there’s disagreement among Senate and House Republicans regarding what specific changes to make.
Northeast Ohio Rep. Jamie Callender, R-Concord, became the fourth lawmaker to propose changes to the marijuana law passed in November as Issue 2. Rep. Callender introduced H.B. 354, and believes his proposal stays truest to the will of the voters.
The Senate unveiled a plan Monday that would make more drastic changes. The chamber’s plan, brought forth by Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon, floats eliminating home grow; creating an effective 30% tax rate; decreasing the legal maximum potency of legal marijuana; and decreasing the amount of marijuana an individual can legally possess. It also suggests various changes to how the tax revenue would be distributed. Ultimately, if the chambers can’t come to an agreement, Issue 2 will move forward as planned; home grow and possession will be legalized on Dec. 7 and the Department of Commerce will move forward with its directive to eventually flesh out regulatory rules, as Issue 2 demands. |
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What Potential Humana-Cigna Tie Up Means for Behavioral Health
An industry-redefining merger of Humana Inc. (NYSE: HUM) and The Cigna Group (NYSE:CI) is reportedly in the works.
The deal, if completed, would create a massive company that spans nearly every segment of the health insurance industry. It would also create a formidable clinical and health services division prominently featuring behavioral health. Both entities offer behavioral health services via various platforms, including commercial, and Medicare and Medicaid programs. Apart from creating a gargantuan clinical and health insurance company — the alleged merger would provide a compelling test of the Biden administration’s stance on mega-mergers. |
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Ohio SUD COE Trainings
The Ohio Substance Use Disorders Center of Excellence (SUD COE), housed at Case Western Reserve University, is pleased to announce our initial training schedule beginning with a range of free topical content offerings that will be available in both virtual and regional onsite/in-person formats.
The SUD COE will be rolling out new evidence-informed sessions each quarter and will also offer a variety of learning community opportunities for professionals looking to explore essential topics and roles associated with the treatment of high morbidity/high mortality SUD.
Trainings that are now open for registration are:
- Overview of Best Practices in the Supervision of Substance Use Treatment Providers
- Engagement & Retention in Substance Use Disorder Treatment
- Ethics and Boundaries for Substance Use Disorder Professionals
- Foundational Principles of Substance Use Disorder Treatment
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