IB 

Union Calendar No. 564 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5796 

[Report No. 115–729, Part I] 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants 

for eligible entities to provide technical assistance to outlier prescribers 

of opioids. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 15, 2018 

Mr. FITZPATRICK (for himself, Mr. CURBELO of Florida, and Mr. THOMPSON

of California) 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 

JUNE 12, 2018 

Additional sponsors: Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mr. WALDEN, and Mr. ENGEL

JUNE 12, 2018 

Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

JUNE 12, 2018 

The Committee on Ways and Means discharged; committed to the Committee 

of the Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 


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•HR 5796 RH

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to provide grants for eligible entities to provide technical 

assistance to outlier prescribers of opioids. 


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•HR 5796 RH

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 ‘‘Responsible Education 

5 Achieves Care and Healthy Outcomes for Users’ Treat6 ment Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘REACH OUT Act of 2018’’. 

7 SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 

8 OUTLIER PRESCRIBERS OF OPIOIDS. 

9 (a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Health 

10 and Human Services (in this section referred to as the 

11 ‘‘Secretary’’) shall, through the Centers for Medicare & 

12 Medicaid Services, award grants, contracts, or cooperative 

13 agreements to eligible entities for the purposes described 

14 in subsection (b). 

15 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants, contracts, and coopera16 tive agreements awarded under subsection (a) shall be 

17 used to support eligible entities through technical assist18 ance— 

19 (1) to educate and provide outreach to outlier 

20 prescribers of opioids about best practices for pre21 scribing opioids; 

22 (2) to educate and provide outreach to outlier 

23 prescribers of opioids about non-opioid pain manage24 ment therapies; and 


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•HR 5796 RH

1 (3) to reduce the amount of opioid prescriptions 

2 prescribed by outlier prescribers of opioids. 

3 (c) APPLICATION.—Each eligible entity seeking to re4 ceive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under 

5 subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary an applica6 tion, at such time, in such manner, and containing such 

7 information as the Secretary may require. 

8 (d) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding 

9 grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements under this 

10 section, the Secretary shall prioritize establishing technical 

11 assistance resources in each State. 

12 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

13 (1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti14 ty’’ means— 

15 (A) an organization— 

16 (i) that has demonstrated experience 

17 providing technical assistance to health 

18 care professionals on a State or regional 

19 basis; and 

20 (ii) that has at least— 

21 (I) one individual who is a rep22 resentative of consumers on its gov23 erning body; and 


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•HR 5796 RH

1 (II) one individual who is a rep2 resentative of health care providers on 

3 its governing body; or 

4 (B) an entity that is a quality improve5 ment entity with a contract under part B of 

6 title XI of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

7 1320c et seq.). 

8 (2) OUTLIER PRESCRIBER OF OPIOIDS.—The 

9 term ‘‘outlier prescriber of opioids’’ means a pre10 scriber, identified by the Secretary of Health and 

11 Human Services (through use of prescriber informa12 tion provided by prescriber National Provider Identi13 fiers included pursuant to section 1860D–4(c)(4)(A) 

14 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 

15 104(c)(4)(A)) on claims for covered part D drugs for 

16 part D eligible individuals enrolled in prescription 

17 drug plans under part D of title XVIII of such Act 

18 (42 U.S.C. 1395w–101 et seq.) and MA–PD plans 

19 under part C of such title (42 U.S.C. 1395w–21 et 

20 seq.)) as prescribing, as compared to other pre21 scribers in the specialty of the prescriber and geo22 graphic area, amounts of opioids in excess of a 

23 threshold (and other criteria) specified by the Sec24 retary, after consultation with stakeholders. 


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•HR 5796 RH

1 (3) PRESCRIBERS.—The term ‘‘prescriber’’ 

2 means any health care professional, including a 

3 nurse practitioner or physician assistant, who is li4 censed to prescribe opioids by the State or territory 

5 in which such professional practices. 

6 (f) FUNDING.—For purposes of implementing this 

7 section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 

8 provide for the transfer from the Federal Supplementary 

9 Medical Insurance Trust Fund established under section 

10 1841 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t) to the 

11 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Man12 agement Account of $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2019. 

13 Amounts transferred under this subparagraph shall re14 main available until expended. 


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lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS
Union Calendar No. 564 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5796 

[Report No. 115–729, Part I] 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human 

of opioids. provide technical assistance to outlier prescribers Services to provide grants for eligible entities to 

JUNE 12, 2018 

Reported from the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

JUNE 12, 2018 

The Committee on Ways and Means discharged; comState of the Union and ordered to be printed mitted to the Committee of the Whole House on the 


lotter on DSKBCFDHB2PROD with BILLS