PNAP applauds Congress passing, and President Biden signing into law, the FY 2023 Omnibus Appropriations bill, which included important policy provisions that will dramatically expand access to treatment for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), particularly those in rural and underserved areas.

These provisions include eliminating the requirement that patients must prove a one-year history of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) before entering treatment; increasing federal funding for state opioid response grants in rural communities; removing red tape to promote greater use of mobile clinics; and increasing telehealth flexibilities.

“As OTPs continue to serve hundreds of thousands of patients with OUD across the Country, these changes will certainly help reduce the risk of a fatal overdose that can happen while people are in the midst of an active opioid use disorder—and for that we are grateful.

The one-year requirement was unequivocally a barrier that prevented patients from getting the help they needed immediately. Similarly, PNAP’s member organizations operate mobile clinics that provide lifesaving care to patients in rural areas and those with transportation and mobility issues. Thanks to Congress, mobile clinics will now be more widely available to serve patients. And telehealth will continue to be a lifeline for patients across the country, who are working towards recovery while balancing life and work responsibilities.These changes that we’ve long advocated for will be instrumental in fighting the opioid crisis,” said Dr. Ben Nordstrom, CMO of Behavioral Health Group.

The 118^th Congress gaveled in last week, and PNAP members are committed to working closely with Congress and the Administration to promote evidence-based policy solutions to end the opioid epidemic.President Biden signed H.R. 2617, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 into law on December 29, 2022. The 118^th Congress began on January 3, 2023.

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About PNAP

Program, not a pill is a campaign that brings the community together to support and expand access to patient-centered, evidence-based treatments for opioid addiction and elevates the whole-patient standard of care. To adequately treat people with opioid use disorder (OUD), they need a Program, not a pill. Medication-assisted treatment is that program.