(12/18/2024) Last evening, Senator John C. Velis (D-Westfield) and other House and Senate members of the conference committee reached a final agreement on a compromise Substance Use Disorder bill that the Legislature will take up this week. An Act relative to treatments and coverage for substance use disorder and recovery coach licensure aims to reduce overdoses in the Commonwealth and expand access to substance use recovery programs in communities throughout the state.
“From the onset of my appointment as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery, I made it explicitly clear that one of my top priorities was to send comprehensive pieces of legislation to the Governor that will help keep people alive and make quality recovery resources easily accessible,” shared Senator Velis, who was one of the six legislative negotiators for the final legislation. “The unfortunate truth is that most people in our Commonwealth know someone who is struggling or has struggled with addiction, and it is absolutely heartbreaking how many loved ones we continue to lose to this disease. Not only does this legislation bolster access to life saving overdose reversal tools but it also expands access to recovery coaches, vital providers who truly understand what it is like to navigate recovery because of their lived experiences. I am beyond grateful to all my colleagues who have worked on this legislation and worked through this collaborative process to reach this important compromise.”
The bill includes provisions to expand access to life saving overdose reversal treatments, bolster non opioid pain medications, and strengthen treatment for residents in recovery including the following:
- Mandates that insurance providers cover opioid reversal drugs. This bill mandates that all health plans cover emergency opioid antagonists (EOAs)—opioid reversal drugs such as naloxone and Narcan—without cost-sharing or prior authorization.
- Updates insurance requirements for non-opioid pain treatment. The bill updates requirements for insurance providers to ensure adequate coverage and access to pain management services without prior authorization, including non-opioid alternatives to pain treatment.
- Mandates insurance coverage for recovery coaches. The bill mandates all health plans cover recovery coach services without cost-sharing or prior authorization at no less than MassHealth rates, regardless of the setting in which the services are provided.
- Establishes recovery coaching licensure. This legislation establishes recovery coach licensing and oversight within DPH and codifies the practice of recovery coaching to ensure qualifications, proper use of titles, and compliance with DPH regulations. It also directs BSAS to study and report on barriers to certification, credentialing, and other employment and practice requirements for recovery coaches, as well as establish a peer support program for recovery coaches and their employers that includes mentorship, technical assistance, and other resources.
- Reporting on alcohol- and drug-free housing. The legislation directs DPH to study and report findings to the Legislature on alcohol- and drug-free housing, also known as sober homes, including the safety and recovery of sober home residents in the Commonwealth.
- Expands non-opioid pain treatment training. The legislation expands required prescriber training to include acute and chronic pain treatment, incorporating available and appropriate non-opioid alternatives. It also requires pharmacists dispensing opioids to distribute printed educational materials on non-opioid alternatives to pain treatment as issued by the Department of Public Health (DPH).
- Boosts anti-discrimination protections for people with substance use disorder. This legislation clarifies DPH authority to enforce anti-discrimination protections for people with SUD who are covered by public health insurance. It prohibits discrimination against those lawfully possessing or taking medication for opioid-related SUD treatment as prescribed. It also directs the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) to examine and then report to the Legislature—including any recommendations or necessary legislative or regulatory changes—on the disparate impacts of SUD, overdoses, overdose deaths, and clinical outcomes for members of historically marginalized communities.
- Supports Harm Reduction Organizations. This bill ensures that public health and harm reduction organizations are protected from civil or criminal liability and professional disciplinary actions if they are providing drug checking services in good faith, and prohibits medical malpractice insurers from discriminating against health care practitioners who provide harm reduction services.
Both the Senate and House plan to take up the final legislation on Thursday December 19th, and Senator Velis noted that he hopes that Governor Healey will promptly sign the bill into law before the end of the legislation on December 31st .
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