Senator Hassan’s First Senate Amendment Protects Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

Senator Hassan's First Senate Amendment Protects Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

WASHINGTON - Today, Senator Maggie Hassan introduced an amendment to the budget resolution being debated in the Senate that would protect access to medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. Senator Hassan's amendment - the first she's authored as a United States Senator - prevents the Senate from considering fast-track legislation that would hinder efforts to combat the heroin and opioid epidemic by reducing access to substance misuse treatment covered under the Affordable Care Act.

The amendment is cosponsored by Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

"The first amendment I authored in the United States Senate protects New Hampshire's efforts to combat the heroin, opioid and fentanyl crisis by preserving access to medication-assisted treatment," said Senator Maggie Hassan. "Thousands of people across New Hampshire depend on these critical services, and I will always stand up to ensure that Granite Staters have access to the treatment they need in the battle against addiction."

The amendment would create a budget point of order to prevent changes to the Affordable Care Act that would lead to reductions in coverage, increases in health care costs, reductions in quality, or lower federal funding for Medicaid expansion, which helps thousands of Granite Staters access coverage for substance misuse treatment and behavioral health services.

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