State lawmakers will consider several bills designed to fight opioid addiction and overdose deaths.
The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services has scheduled a suite of bills designed to address the state’s ongoing heroin and prescription drug crisis. One would mandate insurance coverage for at least 90 days of inpatient addiction treatment for patients who meet certain standards. That’s in contrast to the 30 days or less most insurers allow.
Another bill would direct the state Department of Behavioral Health Care to certify housing programs for people in recovery from addiction. Under the bill only certified programs could receive state funding.
Other measures up for debate would allow licensed clinicians to refer kids to the state’s addiction recovery high school – rather than requiring school district approval, and ask pediatricians to screen children for behavioral health issues as part of a routine checkup.