News

Medicare Continues to Incentivize Opioid Prescriptions – And the Cost is Astronomical

December 14, 2022Lawmakers have time and again taken steps to reverse the course of the opioid addiction crisis. The only issue? The problem continues to get worse.

How Congress can prevent opioid addiction before it starts

December 10, 2022Take it from me when I say we are not doing enough to prevent individuals from going down the road to opioid addiction. While nearly 81,000 people lost their lives to an opioid overdose in 2021, it has become easy to forget the human impact behind numbers like this.

The flu season’s no-good, very bad start

December 6, 2022Dozens of healthcare and patient advocacy groups wrote to congressional leaders, calling for lawmakers to pass the NOPAIN Act as part of its end-of-year package.

CDC issues updated guidance on prescribing opioids

December 3, 2022CDC issues updated guidance on prescribing opioids.

CNBC: Drug Overdose Deaths Among Seniors Have More Than Tripled In 2 Decades

November 30, 2022Deaths from drug and alcohol use are rising among America’s seniors. Drug overdose deaths more than tripled among people aged 65 and older during the past two decades, while deaths from alcohol abuse increased more than 18% from 2019 to 2020, according to data published Wednesday by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Sterling Elliott: As Illinois deals with opioid crisis, Congress can help expand pain management alternatives

November 29, 2022Today alone, around 220 Americans will die of an opioid-related overdose. Here in Illinois, we lost 3,013 people just last year to a fatal opioid overdose. Yet, opioids still remain the primary option for patients who are managing pain after outpatient surgery.

Opinion: How Congress can fix Idaho's opioid addiction crisis

November 23, 2022Throughout my life, I have always been a fixer. After I lost my father to drunk driving when I was a child, I became passionate about the power of prevention.

Mother speaks out as bill to prevent opioid addiction stalls in Congress: ‘My son is the cost of inaction’

November 2, 2022A bill that aims to stop opioid addiction before it starts has stalled in Congress for more than a year. A mother who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose says the cost of inaction is growing every day.

Opinion: We can stop opioid addiction before it starts

October 7, 2022Between 6 and 20 percent of surgery patients initiate a long-term opioid use habit after a surgery. It’s easy to understand why, as 90 percent of these patients receive opioids to manage their pain. Sometimes in unimaginable quantities.

Column: The opioid crisis impacted me professionally and personally. Now I am asking Congress to act.

September 26, 2022I am on the frontline of the opioid epidemic that is ravaging the nation. It has impacted me both personally and professionally in unimaginable ways.

It's High Time for Broader Access to Non-Opioid Pain Medication

September 23, 2022Overdose deaths have hit an all-time high in the U.S.: over 107,000 in a single year. This crisis has been driven predominantly by opioid-related overdose deaths. With the total number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. surpassing 1 million since 1999, it's clear the problem shows no signs of abating.

To combat opioid crisis, we need to take a different approach

June 24, 2022Focusing on access to overdose reversal drugs — while important — perpetuates opioids as the standard of care for treating postoperative pain. Such an approach misses the opportunity to prevent substance use.

How Detroit Red Wings announcer Ken Daniels keeps son’s legacy alive

June 19, 2022Many people know him as the voice of the Detroit Red Wings, but at his core, Ken Daniels is a father and he has a very important message. As Father’s Day approaches, Local 4 is exploring the story of Jamie Daniels and how his father is honoring his life by helping those who struggle with addiction.

Bipartisan lawmakers target addiction crisis by boosting non-opioid pain management

May 24, 2022As drug overdose deaths in the U.S. continue to skyrocket, advocates and lawmakers are working to pass key legislation to help prevent opioid addiction before it starts.

Lawmakers search for solutions to opioid crisis

May 9, 2022Others in Colorado are looking to Congress. People like Dr. Sarah Werner with the SAFE Project are asking the federal government to move on a bill called the NOPAIN Act. The bill looks to expand access to opioid alternatives for Medicare patients.

Ketchikan advocates call for local, state and federal action to address opioid crisis

May 6, 2022Mental health advocates in Ketchikan are calling for local, state and federal officials to do more to address a surge in drug overdose deaths.

Recovery advocates from Flourish Bakery talk with Utah’s senators about the NOPAIN Act

April 30, 2022With hundreds of Utahns dying from opioid overdose each year, Aimee Alitzer and Sam Ball of Midvale’s Flourish Bakery (752 W. Center St.) spoke with Sen. Mitt Romney’s and Sen. Mike Lee’s offices in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the NOPAIN Act.

Letter: Reducing Missouri's opioid addiction must be a priority

March 22, 2022As a pre- and post-operative nurse, I see far too often how opioid-based pain treatments can lead to addiction. Luckily, legislation is now pending in Congress to tackle this issue.

To counter addiction, providers need safer options to manage pain

February 21, 2022As a Roxbury native, I have a deep love for my community. When the opioid epidemic’s toll on the neighborhood worsened drastically in recent years, I had to step in.

Efforts to curb opioid addiction in Hawaiʻi

February 15, 2022Bryan Talisayan, executive director of Mental Health America of Hawaiʻi, was among those advocates. He sat down with The Conversation to provide a snapshot of opioid use in Hawaiʻi.

Maryland Woman Recovering From Addiction Calls For Action Against Opioid Epidemic

February 11, 2022The opioid epidemic continues to devastate communities across the country, including right here in Maryland, as opioid overdose remains among one of the state’s leading causes of death.

Letter: Non-opioid alternatives needed for treating pain

February 9, 2022Juan Conde’s Jan. 12 article highlighted a critical fact that is often overlooked in discussions of the opioid crisis in Virginia and nationwide: A broad array of safe, effective non-opioid alternatives are available for treating pain following a surgery. Opioids aren’t the only option.

Jeffrey told me his story of addiction and recovery. Then the Tenderloin pulled him back and he found fentanyl

January 21, 2022I hadn’t heard from Jeffrey Choate in a couple of months when, one evening in July, I received a jarring text message. He was alive, he assured me, but just barely.

Doctors should not be penalized for prescribing opioid alternatives

December 9, 2021The opioid addiction crisis has impacted every community in Oregon. Congress has a way to help stop the surge in overdoses.

Stop opioid overdoses

November 13, 2021New Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data estimates that in the 12 months ending in March, more than 10,400 Californians died of a drug overdose.

Florida politicians should embrace non-opioid solutions for pain relief | Letters

October 18, 2021Times reporter Margo Snipe’s article about the shocking increase in overdose deaths across Tampa Bay’s Black community was a devastating but necessary piece. And Florida isn’t alone in this struggle.

Opinion: Support legislation to end opioid epidemic

October 15, 2021During my work in a state-level behavioral health agency, I saw the devastating effects of substance abuse. That’s why I’ve supported prescription drug monitoring programs and reform in the way physicians and dentists prescribe treatments for managing pain.

Opinion: NOPAIN Act

October 5, 2021Take it from me. After being prescribed opioids to manage my pain following a C-section, I soon became dependent on the drugs, falling into a years-long battle with substance use disorder, including heroin use, that even landed me in jail multiple times.

Ames mom pushing for federal legislation to give people more choices in managing pain

October 4, 2021One Ames mom is fighting to bring awareness to the issue, hoping Congress passes the NOPAIN Act to give patients more options for managing pain.

Veteran advocates for opioid alternatives

September 14, 2021Kim Robbins of Laurium injured her hip while serving, a career that included tours overseas in Germany. By 2015, it needed to be replaced. During the recovery process, she became addicted to the medication that was supposed to help her heal.

Non-opioid Options

August 31, 2021The nearly 1,800 lives lost, three-quarters of which are attributed to opioids, must serve as a call to action to curb the opioid crisis.

Letter: Opioid crisis calls for federal action

August 25, 2021While the nation’s attention has understandably been focused on the pandemic over the past year, America’s opioid epidemic has only worsened. In 2020, over 1,300 Connecticut residents died of a drug overdose — a 10 percent increase from 2019.

Reduce incentives to prescribe opioid painkillers

August 22, 2021Every year, 3.75 million patients go on to long-term opioid use after surgery. Unfortunately, opioids are the standard of care to treat postoperative pain – and they set unknowing New Jerseyans onto a dangerous path from which many never return.

Opinion: Avoiding addiction is key in fighting the opioid epidemic

August 21, 2021To stem the tide of this crisis nationwide, leaders such as Ms. Lambert need resources right now, and an upstream effort to prevent Americans from needing their services in the first place.

Letter: Bill supports safe, effective alternatives to opioids for pain management

August 7, 2021Unfortunately, opioids are the standard of care to treat postoperative pain. As an anesthesiologist, I know first-hand how opioids can set unknowing North Carolinians onto a dangerous path.

Congress must act to stop Iowa’s opioid epidemic

July 23, 2021In Iowa and nationwide, the pandemic has understandably dominated headlines. Yet another public health crisis has only worsened in the past year.

CDC and opioid related deaths

July 21, 2021Following the CDC’s release of updated data regarding opioid-related deaths in 2020, Chris Fox, executive director of Voices for Non-Opioid Choices, issued the following statement.

Federal law would incentivize non-opioid pain relief treatments

July 14, 2021In Colorado and nationwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has understandably dominated headlines. Yet another public health crisis, one that takes about 190 American lives every day, has only worsened in the past year.

Editorial: Congress should pass the No Pain Act

July 6, 2021The NOPAIN Act is a bill that shifts billing practices in Medicare to attempt to encourage more nonopioid solutions for pain. It doesn’t ban opioids or eliminate reimbursement for them. It attempts to make it easier to use nonopioids.

Opinion: A full recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic requires immediate action on the nation’s opioid crisis

July 5, 2021The stress, isolation and anxiety brought on by the pandemic have undeniably exacerbated the mental health and addiction crises in Iowa and across the country. And the past year has been particularly challenging for those suffering from opioid-use disorder.

Support critical legislation giving more tools to manage patients’ pain

June 27, 2021As the Walla Walla chapter lead of Young People in Recovery, I work with community members to address this crisis every day. I also know that an essential step in reducing the human toll of the opioid epidemic is stopping addiction before it begins.

Featured letter: New law raises glimmer of hope for Pennsylvania's forgotten health crisis

June 24, 2021In a trend that mirrors what's occurring nationwide, the number of overdose deaths in Mercer County increased sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and is on track to continue climbing.

Kerri J. Rhodes column: I lost my son to opioids. Now I’m fighting for moms like me

June 7, 2021After my son passed away, I decided to turn my grief into advocacy and do what I could to help others like Taylor. It’s more important than ever for our representatives in Congress to act and help stem the tide of the opioid epidemic.

Congress must resolve to act on opioid alternatives: Greg McNeil

June 6, 2021No other father across the country should have to experience what I and so many other dads have – the loss of a child to opioid addiction. Congress must embrace prevention as a key tool to combating our nation’s opioid crisis.

LETTER: NOPAIN Act will be big tool against opioid epidemic

May 25, 2021The opioid epidemic has had a devastating effect on West Virginia communities, and it must be addressed from several approaches. One essential step in reducing the human toll of the opioid epidemic is stopping addiction before it begins.

'NOPAIN Act' reintroduced in Congress

May 24, 2021Executive Director, Chris Fox talks about the NOPAIN Act and the opioid epidemic’s continued impact on Alabamians.

Congress should pass NOPAIN Act

May 24, 2021Despite years of lip service from the federal government about the importance of fighting the opioid epidemic that has ravaged not just West Virginia, but populations across the country, little effort has been put toward making a real difference.

Opioid use skyrockets in the state of Idaho

May 21, 2021In efforts to stop the skyrocketing opioid crises, experts want you and your family to know about alternative pain management. Putting you first KMVT spoke with Chris Fox, the Executive Director for Voices for Non-Opioid Choices.

Trussville woman active in fight against drug addiction after losing son

May 7, 2021For Lisa Bright, this Sunday will be the eighth Mother's Day without her son, Will. After getting ahold of prescription drugs at school as a teenager, Will struggled with addiction, recovery and relapse for 10 years before the Trussville family lost their only son to a heroin overdose in 2012.

Opioid overdoses have increased during pandemic

May 6, 2021Justin Phillips, Executive Director of Overdose Lifeline, explained that often, people's first introduction to opioids is from a legitimate pain prescription; adding that people are unaware how you can have surgical procedures without using opioids after. That's why she's pushing for the NOPAIN Act.

FINDING HOPE: Nonprofit tackles teen drug use in Idaho

May 3, 2021Idaho Drug-Free Youth Executive Director Kati Durkin joined a virtual roundtable discussion with other advocacy groups and representatives from Senator Mike Crapo's office to discuss efforts on Capitol Hill to tackle the opioid epidemic.

Summit County father hopes opioid-focused bill helps families battling addiction

April 25, 2021Greg McNeil, a Summit County father who lost his son to an opioid overdose, is hoping a new bill called Non-opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act can help families better cope with addiction before it's too late.

Legislation introduced to help stem Opioid Epidemic

March 8, 2021U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio), and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) introduced the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act.

Manchin, Capito reintroduce NOPAIN Act

March 4, 2021A bipartisan group of U.S. senators, including Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., have reintroduced the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act.

Opioid alternatives advocates press for NO PAIN Act, stalled in Congress

December 19, 2020 In 2018, 287 people in Iowa succumbed to a fatal drug overdose, the last year for which the CDC had data — mirroring the national downward trend. Now, fatal overdoses in Iowa are rising again, surpassing their 2019 number in November.

Advocates, physicians call NOPAIN Act ‘game changer’

December 11, 2020Along with causing a crisis of its own, the COVID-19 pandemic, which has now impacted the nation for roughly nine months, has exacerbated longstanding crises in healthcare, employment, housing and education. The opioid epidemic is no exception.

Medicare payments favor opioids over alternatives, and that’s a problem

October 14, 2020Given the very real risks of opioid medications and the severity of Pennsylvania’s addiction crisis, we can’t wait to act. Antiquated federal regulations have helped to create our nation’s over-reliance on opioids, which remain the cheapest option for health-care providers because of how insurance payments are administered under the current Medicare reimbursement rule.

Joni Ernst visits Van G. Miller HCC in Waterloo, discusses opioid crisis

August 13, 2020U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst lead an opioid roundtable discussion at the Van G. Miller Adult Learning Center in Waterloo with a group of nine doctors, addiction specialists and others.

Luria supports NOPAIN Act for non-opioid pain treatments

August 8, 2020Congresswoman Elaine Luria announced she is supporting the Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction in the Nation (NOPAIN) Act.

Opioid Overdoses Spiking During Coronavirus Crisis

August 6, 2020Opioid addiction has been a problem for a long time, but 2020 has made it worse. Congress needs to do something in the upcoming coronavirus relief package to address the growing opioid crisis that has resulted because of the pandemic.

The Challenge in Accessing Non-Opioid Pain Management Approaches

August 4, 2020Op-Ed: Action needed to combat opioid epidemic and provide providers and patients choices in pain management.

COVID-19 could make opioid epidemic worse

August 4, 2020While hospitals themselves must continue to maintain on-call staff and critical supplies of medicines, we need federal action to combat additional challenges, particularly those that occur outside hospital walls.

NOPAIN Act should be supported by Indiana lawmakers

August 3, 2020While Indiana begins to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, there is reason to believe the fight against the opioid epidemic has only become more difficult.

Act Aims to Get Medicare on Board with Opioid Alternatives

July 31, 2020According to a recent analysis of opioid-prescribing practices, approximately 3 million Americans become regular opioid users following surgery every year, and unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic is triggering even more abuse, relapse, and overdose fatalities.

Combatting addiction means re-thinking pain treatment

July 30, 2020Getting the resources you need to battle addiction is hard enough. Doing it during COVID-19 can be nearly impossible, and the current state of our country could be making the severity of Alabama’s addiction crisis far worse.

Don’t forget opioids, Arizona’s other epidemic

July 29, 2020Arizonans already wrestling with addiction now face the added strain of COVID-19 social isolation or may worry about job security and being able to pay bills and other necessary expenses.

Time for Congress to back NOPAIN Act

July 24, 2020The social isolation and stress caused by Covid-19 can be incredibly difficult for those battling substance abuse.

A potential solution to incentivized opioid prescriptions

July 12, 2020Opioid addiction, abuse and deaths have been a consistent problem in the United States and Missouri for decades. The coronavirus pandemic has only increased and highlighted these problems more.

Increasing patient access to non-opioids

July 7, 2020An unintended consequence of restarting elective surgeries may be a flood of new opioid prescriptions owing to the backlog of deferred procedures.

Opioid crisis still looming over us

July 7, 2020As Nevada’s reopening continues, more patients will get medical procedures they’ve put off. As a result, more will leave the hospital with opioid prescriptions and potentially become addicted.

Congress should pass the NOPAIN Act and empower doctors and patients to help curb opioid abuse

June 25, 2020As COVID-19 tests America’s health care capacity, doctors have been forced to put their resources where they matter most, delaying non-essential operations until our current public health crisis is under control.

Nurses care for patients

June 23, 2020Whether treating someone infected with COVID-19 or providing routine post-operative care, our priority is what’s best for the patient. That’s why I’m concerned right now with an apparent surge in opioids overdoses being reported in communities across the country.

Don’t forget Arizona’s other serious epidemic: opioid addiction

June 16, 2020Drug and alcohol counselors like me know this is a dangerous time. Arizonans already wrestling with addiction now face the strain of COVID-19 social isolation or may worry about job security.

Hike in opioid use a concern

June 16, 2020Nurses care for patients. Whether treating someone infected with COVID-19 or providing routine post-operative care, our priority is what’s best for the patient.

Preventing opioid addiction means more access to pain treatment options

May 26, 2020Arizona hospitals and healthcare professionals shifted their focus in recent months to responding to the COVID-19 crisis. But early indications now suggest the pandemic may be helping to fuel our nation’s other public health emergency: opioid abuse.

Surgical pain is inevitable, but unnecessary opioids can be avoided

March 3, 2020March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month and, though survival rates have fortunately risen over the last few decades, another issue has appeared for far too many patients: opioid dependence and addiction after surgery.

Let's play follow the leader in tackling America's opioid epidemic

February 6, 2020In a crisis, words are simply not enough. Our country must have bold leadership and the commitment to follow through with bold action.

Providers want CMS to unbundle non-opioid drugs in outpatient care

January 30, 2020Advocates for non-opioid pain management alternatives are calling on policymakers to increase access to non-opioid pain management alternatives, including unbundling certain drugs in outpatient settings and increasing provider training.

The missing piece of the current health care debate

December 8, 2019Election season is upon us, and candidates all over the ideological spectrum are promoting their platforms to improve the lives of everyday Americans. Many of these potential leaders have grand plans to improve health care inthe United States.