Senate Bill Would Place Fee on Opioid Drugs to Fund Addiction Treatment

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday would place a 1-cent fee on each milligram of opioid-based prescription drugs. The proceeds would be used to fund addiction recovery facilities, according to West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

The Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment Act, or Life BOAT, could create $1.5 billion to $2 billion annually for addiction treatment, according to bill co-sponsor Joe Manchin of West Virginia. The funds would be made available to treatment facilities through the Substance Abuse Treatment Block Grant program.

The bill includes a rebate program for cancer-related pain and hospice care, and exempts drugs used exclusively for the treatment of opioid addiction.

The funding would go toward new residential and outpatient addiction treatment facilities. It would expand access to long-term, residential treatment programs. The bill would also fund recruitment and increased reimbursement for certified mental health providers providing substance abuse treatment. It would fund programs that offer employment services, housing, and other support services to help a person in recovery transition back into society.

The bill would also fund facilities to provide care for babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome, as well as substance abuse treatment programs in conjunction with adult and family treatment drug courts.

“A major barrier that those suffering from opioid addiction face is insufficient access to substance abuse treatment,” Senator Manchin said in a news release. “These are people who have recognized that they need help, but have been turned away because there simply weren’t enough facilities, beds, or mental health providers in their community. This legislation will bridge that gap and make sure that we can provide treatment to everyone who makes the decision to get help. I look forward to working with my colleagues to get this bill passed so we can take another step forward in the fight against opioid abuse.”