Following Push from Senator Hassan, Administration to Make Permanent Expanded Opioid Treatment Options

WASHINGTON – Following advocacy from Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and colleagues, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced that it will permanently allow the use of telehealth to prescribe buprenorphine, a critical medication to help treat opioid use disorder. 

“Telehealth meets Granite Staters where they are. Today’s announcement allows those who have made the courageous decision to enter or remain in recovery to do so with a phone or video call with their doctor,” said Senator Hassan. “We need to continue taking every possible step to make it easier to access treatment for opioid use disorder. I will keep working across the aisle 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. Senator Hassan has led the bipartisan push in Congress to make it easier for those seeking recovery to access buprenorphine, which she also pressed the HHS Secretary about in a hearing this year.

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