At a busy day in the State House, legislation to address opioids and substance use dominated the proceedings. 

The Senate Health, Human Services and Senior Citizens committee approved legislation that includes insurance coverage for inpatient and outpatient substance use disorder treatment, prescription limits for the management and treatment of acute pain and continuing professional education for prescribers and healthcare professionals. Senate Bill 3, sponsored by Sen. Joe Vitale (D-Woodbridge), as amended in committee was approved unanimously as a key portion of Governor Christie’s opioid abuse reform package. The bill heads to the floor of the Senate for its full consideration. 

The committee also approved another Vitale bill, S-1305, which would require Medicaid coverage for diabetes self-management. NJHA was on hand to offer its support. 

The Assembly Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee considered the Assembly companion to S-3, sponsored by Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D-Secaucus) and Republican Leader Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield). This bill, A-3, was amended to make it identical to the Senate version which passed about an hour before. After lengthy testimony, the bill was approved 10-0 with one abstention. 

Elsewhere in the Assembly, the Health and Senior Services Committee heard testimony concerning access to behavioral healthcare and addiction services, including barriers to access and coverage disparities between physical healthcare and behavioral and mental healthcare. Among other witnesses, the committee invited NJHA with guest Russ Micoli, vice president of ambulatory facilities at Kennedy Health, to present the realities of treating patients with behavioral health and addiction issues. The consistent theme of all those testifying was the need for more streamlined access to care, emphasizing that if it was another illness of the body treatment would be easier to obtain and more thorough. Witnesses also noted the need for consistent payment for behavioral health services. 

Additionally, the committee discussed the need for A-4379, which would establish a social innovation loan guarantee pilot program and study commission within the New Jersey Health Care Facilities Financing Authority concerning opioid and other substance use disorders.