Litigation against major pharmaceutical companies has called attention to the crippling opioid crisis gripping the US, which begs the question: what can be done about it? Recently, Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the bipartisan Opioid Workforce Act in hopes that increased Medicare funding will promote treatment availability.
Currently, only 11% of the 21 million people who suffer from addiction disorders are receiving the treatment they need. The bill would make funding available for 1,000 additional graduate medical education (GME) positions in addiction treatment facilities.
Senators Hassan and Collins have also partnered with over 80 organizations to help implement the bill. Both New Hampshire and Maine have been heavily affected by the opioid crisis, but hopefully, new legislation will increase treatment availability and affordability. The bipartisan bill is a big step towards achieving unified support for access to treatment options for those in need.
