The passage of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act (H.R. 6) in 2018 built on the successes of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) and the 21st Century Cures Act (CURES), which both passed in 2016. While these pieces of legislations mark major milestones in the federal policy response to our nation’s opioid overdose epidemic, much work remains to ensure that a meaningful, comprehensive, and coordinated federal response is deployed to save lives. Thus, the Coalition’s policy platform includes:
- Changing the conversation about what it means to have a substance use disorder and challenging stigma and discrimination;
- Strengthening the substance use disorder workforce;
- Removing barriers to, and increasing equitable access to, evidence-based prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery support services for all people and families with (or at-risk of) substance use disorder who need those services, including evidence-based treatment for people who are incarcerated;
- Securing adequate funding streams and appropriate insurance coverage for preventing and treating substance use disorder comprehensively; and
- Supporting research into effective prevention programs and pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for substance use disorder and chronic pain.