PHARMACIST STEVE

From: opioid-safety-and-naloxone-network@googlegroups.com <opioid-safety-and-naloxone-network@googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of Daniel Raymond
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2019 2:49 PM
To: OSNN <opioid-safety-and-naloxone-network@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [OSNN] Fwd: Responses Due by COB Wed., 10/30: CSOO Letter to E&C Re CARE Act of 2019

Hi everyone –

Kelly Corredor with the American Society of Addiction Medicine is asking for organizational sign-ons to the attached letter, encouraging the House Energy & Commerce Committee to move forward the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. The CARE Act would provide $100 billion to address the overdose epidemic over the next 10 years, along with a provision for direct federal price negotiations with naloxone manufacturers to broaden access to and availability of naloxone.

Rep. Elijah Cummings introduced the CARE Act in the House and was its primary champion on the House side (Sen. Warren introduced the Senate version); with his untimely passing, there is a need to ensure that the CARE Act remains on the agenda for Congress.

If your organization can sign on to this letter, please contact Kelly directly at kcorredor@ASAM.org by 5 pm ET on Wednesday, 10/30.

Best,

Daniel

Daniel Raymond
Deputy Director of Planning and Policy
Harm Reduction Coalition
22 West 27th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10001

Direct: (212) 377-9121
Mobile: (646) 283-8929
Fax: (212) 213-6582
raymond@harmreduction.org
www.harmreduction.org

 

October __, 2019

The Honorable Frank Pallone Chairman Committee on Energy and Commerce 2125 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Greg Walden Ranking Member Committee on Energy and Commerce 2185 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Pallone and Ranking Member Walden,

The undersigned organizations in the Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose (CSOO) and other undersigned organizations are writing today to voice our support for the Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act of 2019. With the recent and tragic passing of its lead House sponsor, Representative Elijah Cummings, only with your leadership, can we keep the ideas in this legislation alive.

CSOO is a coalition of diverse organizations united around common policy goals to reduce opioid overdose deaths. CSOO members aim to elevate the national conversation around opioid overdose and work to enact meaningful and comprehensive policy changes that support evidence-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services.

As we know too well, the morbidity and mortality statistics related to addiction, and in particular addiction involving opioid use, are astounding. In 2017, there were a record 70,237 drug overdose deaths in the United States, two-thirds of which have been linked to opioids.ⁱ Moreover, for three years in a row, life expectancy in the United States declined largely because of rising drug overdose deaths.ⁱⁱ While preliminary data indicates that drug overdose deaths may have slightly declined last year,ⁱⁱⁱ drug overdose deaths remain at historic highs, and synthetic opioids continue to pose a significant threat to life.^iv Given these alarming statistics, we need your leadership to pass legislation like the CARE Act of 2019, which provides bold actions that would help to turn the tide of our country’s addiction and overdose epidemic and save lives.

Modeled directly on the Ryan White Act, the CARE Act of 2019 would provide $100 billion in federal funding over the next ten years to states, local governments, and other organizations and institutions to support federal research and programs to prevent drug use while expanding access to prevention, harm reduction, addiction treatment, mental health services, and recovery support services. This level of authorized funding is critical in order to build comprehensive systems that are both effective and sustainable. The CARE Act would also incent systemic changes to facilitate adoption of evidence-based

practices and grow our mental health and addiction services workforce. For example, the bill would facilitate the implementation of nationally recognized level of care standards for addiction treatment

programs and new standards for recovery residences and improve training for healthcare professionals who care for patients with mental health and substance use disorders in communities across the US.

These provisions, among the others in the bill, are urgently needed and will move us closer to a future where all Americans living with mental health and/or substance use disorders are able to receive the high-quality care they need and deserve.

We would like to thank you for considering the CARE Act of 2019, and we look forward to working with you to secure its passage or the passage of substantially similar legislation.

Sincerely,

American Society of Addiction Medicine

*Not a CSOO member 

Filed under: General Problems