I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5798 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require a review of 

current opioid prescriptions for chronic pain and screening for opioid 

use disorder to be included in the Welcome to Medicare initial preventive 

physical examination. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2018 

Mr. BUCSHON (for himself, Mrs. DINGELL, and Mr. PAULSEN) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require 

a review of current opioid prescriptions for chronic pain 

and screening for opioid use disorder to be included 

in the Welcome to Medicare initial preventive physical 

examination. 

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 ‘‘Opioid Screening and 

5 Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act’’. 


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•HR 5798 IH

1 SEC. 2. REQUIRING A REVIEW OF CURRENT OPIOID PRE2 SCRIPTIONS FOR CHRONIC PAIN AND 

3 SCREENING FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER TO 

4 BE INCLUDED IN THE WELCOME TO MEDI5 CARE INITIAL PREVENTIVE PHYSICAL EXAM6 INATION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(ww) of the Social 

8 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ww)) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and a re10 view of current opioid prescriptions and screening 

11 for opioid use disorder (as defined in paragraph 

12 (4)),’’ before ‘‘but does not include’’; and 

13 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

14 paragraph: 

15 ‘‘(4)(A) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘a 

16 review of current opioid prescriptions and screening for 

17 opioid use disorder’ means, with respect to an individual— 

18 ‘‘(i) a review by a physician or qualified non19 physician practitioner of all current prescriptions of 

20 the individual; and 

21 ‘‘(ii) in the case of an individual determined by 

22 the review of a physician or qualified non-physician 

23 practitioner under subparagraph (A) to have a cur24 rent prescription for opioids for chronic pain that 

25 has been prescribed for a minimum period of time 

26 (as specified by the Secretary)— 


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1 ‘‘(I) a review by the physician or practi2 tioner of the potential risk factors to the indi3 vidual for opioid use disorder; 

4 ‘‘(II) an evaluation by the physician or 

5 practitioner of pain of the individual; 

6 ‘‘(III) the provision of information regard7 ing non-opioid treatment options for the treat8 ment and management of any chronic pain of 

9 the individual; and 

10 ‘‘(IV) if determined necessary by the physi11 cian or practitioner based on the results of the 

12 review and evaluation conducted as described in 

13 this paragraph, an appropriate referral by the 

14 physician or practitioner for additional treat15 ment. 

16 ‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘quali17 fied non-physician practitioner’ means a physician assist18 ant, nurse practitioner, or certified clinical nurse spe19 cialist.’’. 

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

21 subsection (a) shall apply with respect to initial preventive 

22 physical examinations furnished on or after January 1, 

23 2020. 

Æ 


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