II 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1424 

To promote affordable access to evidence-based opioid treatments under the 

Medicare program and require coverage of medication assisted treatment 

for opioid use disorders, opioid overdose reversal medications, and recovery support services by health plans without cost-sharing requirements. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 13, 2019 

Mr. CASEY (for himself, Mrs. SHAHEEN, and Ms. KLOBUCHAR) introduced the 

following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To promote affordable access to evidence-based opioid treatments under the Medicare program and require coverage 

of medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, 

opioid overdose reversal medications, and recovery support services by health plans without cost-sharing requirements. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Maximizing Opioid Re5 covery Emergency Savings Act’’ or the ‘‘MORE Savings 

6 Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. TESTING OF ELIMINATION OF MEDICARE COST2 SHARING FOR EVIDENCE-BASED OPIOID 

3 TREATMENTS. 

4 Section 1115A(b)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 1315a(b)(2)) is amended— 

6 (1) in subparagraph (A), in the last sentence, 

7 by inserting ‘‘, and shall include the model described 

8 in subparagraph (D) (which shall be implemented by 

9 not later than six months after the date of the en10 actment of the Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emer11 gency Savings Act)’’ before the period at the end; 

12 and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub14 paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(D) AFFORDABLE ACCESS TO EVIDENCE16 BASED OPIOID TREATMENTS.— 

17 ‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—The model de18 scribed in this subparagraph is a model 

19 that seeks to provide affordable access to 

20 evidence-based opioid treatments and re21 covery support services by eliminating coin22 surance, copayments, and deductibles oth23 erwise applicable under parts B and D of 

24 title XVIII (including as such parts are ap25 plied under part C of such title) for the 


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1 following items and services that are other2 wise covered under such parts: 

3 ‘‘(I) Drugs and biologicals pre4 scribed or furnished to treat opioid 

5 use disorders or reverse overdose. 

6 ‘‘(II) Behavioral health services 

7 furnished for the treatment of opioid 

8 use disorders. 

9 ‘‘(III) Recovery support services 

10 to maintain a healthy lifestyle fol11 lowing opioid misuse treatment, such 

12 as peer counseling and transportation. 

13 ‘‘(ii) SELECTION OF SITES.—The CMI 

14 shall select 15 States in which to conduct 

15 the model under this subparagraph. A 

16 State shall meet each of the following cri17 teria in order to be selected under the pre18 ceding sentence: 

19 ‘‘(I) The State has a high pro20 portion of Medicare beneficiaries. 

21 ‘‘(II) The State has a high rate 

22 of overdose deaths due to opioids. 

23 ‘‘(III) The State has a significant 

24 percentage of rural areas. 


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1 ‘‘(iii) TERMINATION AND MODIFICA2 TION PROVISION NOT APPLICABLE FOR

3 FIRST FIVE YEARS OF THE MODEL.—The 

4 provisions of paragraph (3)(B) shall apply 

5 to the model under this subparagraph be6 ginning on the date that is five years after 

7 such model is implemented, but shall not 

8 apply to such model prior to such date.’’. 

9 SEC. 3. COVERAGE OF OPIOID TREATMENTS. 

10 Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act is 

11 amended by inserting after section 2719A (42 U.S.C. 

12 300gg–19a) the following: 

13 ‘‘SEC. 2720. COVERAGE OF OPIOID TREATMENTS. 

14 ‘‘A group health plan and a health insurance issuer 

15 offering group or individual health insurance coverage 

16 shall, at a minimum, provide coverage for and shall not 

17 impose any cost-sharing requirements for— 

18 ‘‘(1) prescription drugs for the treatment of 

19 opioid use disorders or to reverse overdose; 

20 ‘‘(2) behavioral health services for the treat21 ment of opioid use disorders; or 

22 ‘‘(3) recovery support services that are provided 

23 in conjunction with medication-assisted treatment 

24 for an opioid use disorder, such as peer counseling 

25 and transportation, to support the enrollee in mainVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:06 May 21, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1424.IS S1424

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1 taining a healthy lifestyle following opioid misuse 

2 treatment.’’. 

3 SEC. 4. ENHANCED FEDERAL MATCH FOR MEDICATION-AS4 SISTED TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUP5 PORT SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1905(b) of the Social Se7 curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(b)) is amended by adding 

8 at the end the following: ‘‘Notwithstanding the first sen9 tence of this subsection, the Federal medical assistance 

10 percentage shall be 90 percent with respect to amounts 

11 expended during the period described in subsection (a)(29) 

12 by a State that is one of the 50 States or the District 

13 of Columbia as medical assistance for medication-assisted 

14 treatment (as defined in subsection (ee)(1)).’’. 

15 (b) STATE OPTION TO PROVIDE RECOVERY SUP16 PORT SERVICES AS PART OF MEDICATION-ASSISTED

17 TREATMENT.—Section 1905(ee)(1) of the Social Security 

18 Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(ee)(1)) is amended— 

19 (1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

20 and inserting a semicolon; 

21 (2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period 

22 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

23 (3) by adding at the end the following new sub24 paragraph: 


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1 ‘‘(C) at the option of a State, includes re2 covery support services, such as peer counseling 

3 and transportation, that are provided to an in4 dividual in conjunction with the provision of 

5 such drugs and biological products to support 

6 the individual in maintaining a healthy lifestyle 

7 following opioid misuse treatment.’’. 

Æ 


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