I 
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 5796 
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 
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. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Responsible Education 
Achieves Care and Healthy Outcomes for Users’ Treat-
ment Act of 2018’’ or the ‘‘REACH OUT Act of 2018’’. 
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SEC. 2. GRANTS TO PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 
OUTLIER PRESCRIBERS OF OPIOIDS. 
(a) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Health 
and Human Services (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘Secretary’’) shall, through the Centers for Medicare & 
Medicaid Services, award grants, contracts, or cooperative 
agreements to eligible entities for the purposes described 
in subsection (b). 
(b) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants, contracts, and coopera-
tive agreements awarded under subsection (a) shall be 
used to support eligible entities through technical assist-
ance— 
(1) to educate and provide outreach to outlier 
prescribers of opioids about best practices for pre-
scribing opioids; 
(2) to educate and provide outreach to outlier 
prescribers of opioids about non-opioid pain manage-
ment therapies; and 
(3) to reduce the amount of opioid prescriptions 
prescribed by outlier prescribers of opioids. 
(c) APPLICATION.—Each eligible entity seeking to re-
ceive a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement under 
subsection (a) shall submit to the Secretary an applica-
tion, at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require. 
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scriber, identified by the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (through use of prescriber informa-
tion provided by prescriber National Provider Identi-
fiers included pursuant to section 1860D–4(c)(4)(A) 
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w– 
104(c)(4)(A)) on claims for covered part D drugs for 
part D eligible individuals enrolled in prescription 
drug plans under part D of title XVIII of such Act 
(42 U.S.C. 1395w–101 et seq.) and MA–PD plans 
under part C of such title (42 U.S.C. 1395w–21 et 
seq.)) as prescribing, as compared to other pre-
scribers in the specialty of the prescriber and geo-
graphic area, amounts of opioids in excess of a 
threshold (and other criteria) specified by the Sec-
retary, after consultation with stakeholders. 
(3) PRESCRIBERS.—The term ‘‘prescriber’’ 
means any health care professional, including a 
nurse practitioner or physician assistant, who is li-
censed to prescribe opioids by the State or territory 
in which such professional practices. 
(f) FUNDING.—For purposes of implementing this 
section, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
provide for the transfer from the Federal Supplementary 
Medical Insurance Trust Fund established under section 
1841 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t) to the 
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Program Man-
agement Account of $100,000,000 for fiscal year 2019. 
Amounts transferred under this subparagraph shall re-
main available until expended. 
Æ 
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