Following Push from Senator Hassan, Administration Expands Opioid Treatment Options By Telehealth

WASHINGTON – Following a push from Senator Maggie Hassan to expand treatment access for substance use disorder, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it will expand access to opioid treatment and behavioral health services via telehealth for individuals on Medicare. Senator Hassan has previously called on the administration to expand flexibility to offer critical opioid treatment services.

“The opioid epidemic is taking a devastating toll on our communities, and we need to be doing all that we can to help those who are struggling,” said Senator Hassan. “Telehealth is a critical way to reach Granite Staters where they are, and expanding access to it will give more people the opportunity to enter and remain in recovery. I’m pleased the administration heeded my call to take this step forward, and I will continue to work with members of both parties to address the opioid epidemic and expand prevention, treatment, and recovery services.”

Senator Hassan is working to address the opioid epidemic. Since 2017, Senator Hassan has successfully worked to secure a nine-fold increase in funding to New Hampshire to address the substance use disorder epidemic. Last year following Senator Hassan’s advocacy, the Biden administration removed some requirements that limited health care providers’ ability to prescribe medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorder. Senator Hassan is continuing to press for passage of the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, a bipartisan bill that she reintroduced last year with Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), that would fully eliminate bureaucratic barriers to treatment.

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