{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3912", "Congressman Valadao Works to Lower Substance Use Disorder Rates Among Older Americans", "2026-07-06", "2026", "2026-07", "Republican", "House", "CA", "David G. Valadao", "V000129", "valadao.house.gov", "valadao", "https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "WASHINGTON \u2013 Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) joined Reps. Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Carol Miller (WV-01), and Paul Tonko (NY-20) to reintroduce the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act. This bipartisan bill would help lower the rate of drug overdoses among older adults by authorizing residential and in-patient treatment of opioid-use disorder under Medicare.\n\n\u201cSubstance use disorder can affect anyone, and over the last two decades, overdose deaths among older Americans have increased at an alarming rate,\u201d said Congressman Valadao. \u201cWhile Medicaid covers residential addiction treatment, too many seniors who rely on Medicare are left without access to these critical services or forced to pay out-of-pocket for expensive services they can\u2019t afford. In the Central Valley, we\u2019ve seen the devastating impact of the opioid crisis firsthand, and we need to ensure every American has the care they need to recover. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan bill to expand access to lifesaving treatment and better support seniors struggling with substance use disorder.\u201d\n\n\u201cSubstance use disorders among seniors are on the rise, and I've heard from so many families who have lost older relatives to addiction,\u201d said Rep. Underwood. \u201cWe cannot accept this as a new normal. Our bipartisan legislation will make sure seniors in our communities can get help when they need it and have access to the high-quality recovery care that they deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cIn a state where seniors represent more than 20 percent of the population, substance use disorders among older adults remain a serious yet frequently overlooked challenge,\u201d said Rep. Miller. \u201cThis bill is an important step to expand access to recovery care for seniors and support families facing addiction. By allowing Medicare to cover residential addiction treatment programs, we are strengthening the continuum of care and ensuring seniors have access to structured, medically appropriate recovery services when they need them most.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe disease of addiction has touched every corner of our communities, so our response addressing this crisis must be equally extensive,\u201d said Rep. Tonko. \u201cGiven the alarming rise in substance use disorder among our seniors, making sure they have the treatment and care they need is of particular importance. Our Residential Recovery for Seniors Act delivers that lifesaving care for older adults and people with disabilities. I\u2019m proud to join my colleagues in pushing this commonsense, compassionate bill, that delivers the support needed to those on the path to recovery.\u201d\n\nSupporting organizations include the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Legal Action Center, Pyramid Healthcare, Illinois Association for Behavioral Health, National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, Smart Recovery, The Kennedy Forum, Treatment Communities of America, New Jersey Association of Mental Health and Addictions Agencies Inc., National Council for Mental Wellbeing, Addiction Professionals of North Carolina, HIV Alliance, Shatterproof, Gaudenzia, Faces & Voices of Recovery, Powell Recovery Center, Inc, Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and the Mental Health Association of Maryland.\n\nThe Residential Recovery for Seniors Act would:\n\nCreate a new Medicare benefit to cover residential and inpatient treatment for opioid use disorder according to American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) standards.\n\nInclude coverage for:\n\nLow-intensity residential treatment for individuals who need ongoing support in a structured setting.\n\nHigh-intensity residential treatment for individuals requiring more comprehensive clinical care.\n\nMedically managed residential treatment for patients with more complex medical and addiction treatment needs.\n\nEstablish a predictable Medicare payment system that reimburses treatment providers through a fixed payment amount, helping improve access to care and encourage provider participation.\n\nRead the full bill here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-07-07T08:20:12Z", "2026-07-07T08:22:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://valadao.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3912"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8975029923021793, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}