WASHINGTON – Today, Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa along with Sens. Mark Warner of Virginia and Bill Nelson of Florida, introduced bipartisan legislation to establish new quality measures that would improve treatment for Americans battling opioid and substance addiction. Quality measures help establish national standards of care, used by health care professionals, when treating illnesses, diseases, cancer or other national health epidemics.
In order to break the cycle of addiction, patients seeking treatment must have access to quality care that is proven to be safe and effective. However, a lack of standard quality measures for opioid and abuse treatment has led to gaps in care for patients suffering from addiction. In order to address this problem, the Addiction Treatment Quality Improvement Act would require the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to work with a coalition of healthcare providers to identify quality measures to be used to assess the effectiveness of substance use disorder treatment programs.
“One of the most effective ways to reverse the tide of the opioid epidemic is to make sure those battling addiction receive quality care. Addiction exists everywhere. So should the battle to end it. This bipartisan legislation directs federal agencies to develop nationwide quality measures to prevent gaps in care and ensure a level of consistency in care for patients across the country,” Grassley said.
“The national opioid crisis has affected every corner of our nation. In order to address this national health epidemic that has claimed too many lives, we need to make sure that Americans seeking help have access to safe and effective treatment,” Warner said.
“Patients need to know their care is safe and effective and this bill will identify opportunities to best assess and improve quality. I applaud Senators Warner and Grassley for their leadership and continued commitment to drive quality improvement for the millions Americans and their loved ones affected by this tragic epidemic,” Dr. Shantanu Agrawal, President and CEO of the National Quality Forum, said.
“In addressing the nation’s opioid crisis, the actions we take must be effective and evidence-based. The Addiction Treatment Quality Improvement Act is an essential step in ensuring that the resources devoted to opioid and substance use disorders are making a difference. Senators Warner and Grassley are making an important contribution toward solving this public health challenge. We applaud their efforts and support this legislation,” Mary R. Grealy, President of the Healthcare Leadership Council, said.
Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, has been a leading voice in the fight against opioid addiction. Grassley authored or co-sponsored 12 opioid bills that were included in the final opioid package passed by the Senate last week. Grassley has also been a vocal advocate for drug take-back programs.
In 2016, Grassley led the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), a sweeping addiction recovery bill aimed at addressing the nation’s growing heroin and opioid addiction epidemic, through the Senate. The bill, which later became law, included a number of Grassley provisions to assist in the fight against methamphetamine.
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