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 Com-
merce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a pe-
riod to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for con-
sideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee 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. 
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 ‘‘Opioid Screening and 
Chronic Pain Management Alternatives for Seniors Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIRING A REVIEW OF CURRENT OPIOID PRE-
SCRIPTIONS 
FOR 
CHRONIC 
PAIN 
AND 
SCREENING FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER TO 
BE INCLUDED IN THE WELCOME TO MEDI-
CARE INITIAL PREVENTIVE PHYSICAL EXAM-
INATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(ww) of the Social 
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(ww)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘and a re-
view of current opioid prescriptions and screening 
for opioid use disorder (as defined in paragraph 
(4)),’’ before ‘‘but does not include’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph: 
‘‘(4)(A) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘a 
review of current opioid prescriptions and screening for 
opioid use disorder’ means, with respect to an individual— 
‘‘(i) a review by a physician or qualified non- 
physician practitioner of all current prescriptions of 
the individual; and 
‘‘(ii) in the case of an individual determined by 
the review of a physician or qualified non-physician 
practitioner under subparagraph (A) to have a cur-
rent prescription for opioids for chronic pain that 
has been prescribed for a minimum period of time 
(as specified by the Secretary)— 
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‘‘(I) a review by the physician or practi-
tioner of the potential risk factors to the indi-
vidual for opioid use disorder; 
‘‘(II) an evaluation by the physician or 
practitioner of pain of the individual; 
‘‘(III) the provision of information regard-
ing non-opioid treatment options for the treat-
ment and management of any chronic pain of 
the individual; and 
‘‘(IV) if determined necessary by the physi-
cian or practitioner based on the results of the 
review and evaluation conducted as described in 
this paragraph, an appropriate referral by the 
physician or practitioner for additional treat-
ment. 
‘‘(B) For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘quali-
fied non-physician practitioner’ means a physician assist-
ant, nurse practitioner, or certified clinical nurse spe-
cialist.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to initial preventive 
physical examinations furnished on or after January 1, 
2020. 
Æ 
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