releases: http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-cosponsors-bill-to-help-prevent-prescription-drug-addiction
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| http://kuster.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/kuster-cosponsors-bill-to-help-prevent-prescription-drug-addiction | Kuster Cosponsors Bill To Help Prevent Prescription Drug Addiction | 2016-02-09 | 2016 | 2016-02 | Democrat | House | NH | Ann Kuster | K000382 | kuster.house.gov | legacy | Washington, DC This afternoon, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), co-founder of the Bipartisan Task Force to End the Heroin Epidemic, proudly helped introducethe Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing (PROP) Act. The bill, which is also sponsored by Congressman Alex Mooney (WV-2), would fix a glitch in the Affordable Care Act that indirectly incentivizes doctors to prescribe more opioid pain medication than necessary. Around the country, families are losing loved ones to the devastating opioid epidemic that is sweeping across the nation. Far too many of those individuals struggling with opioid and heroin addiction first started after developing a dependence on prescription drugs, said Congresswoman Annie Kuster. Thats why Im a proud cosponsor of the Promoting Responsible Opioid Prescribing Act, which will help encourage doctors to use best-practices when prescribing medication, in order to prevent patients from starting on the dangerous path towards addiction. We must put an end to this epidemic once and for all; I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and pass this important legislation without delay. In recent years, heroin and opioid addiction has risen dramatically across the nation, and the epidemic has hit New England states like New Hampshire particularly hard. Studies have shown that many individuals struggling with the epidemic were first started on the path to addiction after becoming dependent on prescription drugs. A provision in the Affordable Care Act links Medicare reimbursement rates for doctors to patients self-assessed pain levels, which can lead to over-prescribing opioids when other options might be available. The PROP Act would remove the link between the self-assessment and Medicare reimbursement rates. As the co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Kuster has helped lead efforts to put an end to the epidemic. Earlier this year, she hosted a Special Order in the House to urge her colleagues in Congress to take action; during the Special Order, she and 10 of her colleagues shared on the House Floor the stories of Americans who have been affected by the crisis. Last year, Kuster helped introduce bipartisan legislation that addresses several aspects of combatting the growing heroin epidemic across the country, including the establishment of the Interagency Task Force on Heroin Addiction, the reauthorization of vital drug crisis grants, and the revision of treatment administration guidelines for individuals who are unable to receive take-home treatment, among other provisions. She has also hosted a series of regional briefings across the state to bring together city, state, and federal stakeholders to discuss solutions on the local and federal level, and she has participated in numerous ride-a-longs with members of local law enforcement to get a firsthand look at the challenges they face battling this epidemic and keeping our communities safe. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |