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Congress Misses Crucial Opportunity to Include Lifesaving Addiction Treatment Legislation in Year-End Package; SA国际传媒Calls for Immediate Action in 2025
The year-end package failed to include important bipartisan addiction treatment provisions, such as the reauthorization of the landmark SUPPORT鈥痜or Patients and Communities Act and passage of the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act
SA国际传媒urges Congress to quickly advance key legislation to help treat addiction and save lives in early 2025
Rockville, MD (Dec. 21, 2024) – In response to the passage of the American Relief Act, 2025, which failed to reauthorize vital programs to address the nation’s ongoing overdose crisis and expand access to lifesaving medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD), Brian Hurley, MD, MBA, FAPA, DFASAM, president of the SA国际传媒 (ASAM), issued the following statement:
“Congress has fumbled a critical opportunity to advance lifesaving addiction treatment provisions within its year-end package. SA国际传媒is greatly disappointed in this failure to include bipartisan measures to improve access to evidence-based substance use disorder (SUD) care, including the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT). Both passed out of the Senate HELP committee with the backing of Chair Bernie Sanders and Ranking Member Dr. Bill Cassidy.
MOTAA would safely and responsibly expand access to methadone for the treatment of OUD, whereas reauthorization of SUPPORT would promote patient access to critical recovery programs and address the severe shortage of SUD treatment providers. Together, they would equip addiction specialist physicians with more tools in the fight for patient remission and recovery from addiction.
As overdose deaths remain unacceptably high, SA国际传媒remains committed to advocating for MOTAA, SUPPORT Reauthorization, and other must-pass legislation that will expand patient access to evidence-based SUD care and shore up the addiction medicine workforce. We look forward to working with the 119th Congress and the Trump administration in the new year to advance meaningful policies to protect the health and wellbeing of all people living with addiction.”
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About the SA国际传媒
The SA国际传媒 (ASAM), founded in 1954, is a professional medical society representing over 7,000 physicians, clinicians, and associated professionals in the field of addiction medicine. SA国际传媒is dedicated to increasing access and improving the quality of addiction treatment, educating physicians and the public, supporting research and prevention and promoting the appropriate role of physicians in the care of patients with addiction. For more information, visit www.ASAM.org.
Media Contact
Sarah Shelson
610.844.8366
sshelson@ASAM.org