Political Quotes

“Mr. President, the opioid epidemic continues to claim the lives of far too many people, with record numbers of both Mainers and Americans lost in 2021. While many perceive the face of opioid addiction as young, the epidemic harms older adults as well. In Maine, more than 10 percent of drug overdose deaths last year were among residents 60 and older. Each and every opioid death is preventable, but we must ensure the unique needs of seniors struggling with addiction are not forgotten. That is why I rise today with my colleague from Maryland, Senator Cardin, to introduce legislation to improve seniors' awareness of, and access to, opioid use disorder, OUD, treatment covered by the Medicare Program. Our bill, the Supporting Seniors with Opioid Use Disorder Act of 2022, is in response to recent findings from the inspector general that confirm the urgent need to increase the number of Medicare beneficiaries receiving treatment for opioid use disorder. The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the increased prevalence of fentanyl, have aggravated this national crisis. Even before COVID-19, however, the number of people age 55 or older treated in emergency rooms for nonfatal opioid overdoses was increasing, with a shocking 32 percent jump in E.R. visits from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, as chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, I chaired a hearing on this very topic in attempt to shed light on this often-overlooked population.…”