Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I want to thank my colleague Mimi Walters and those who have worked so closely with her on this really, really important legislation. That is why I am here to support it, H.R. 5797, the IMD CARE Act. This is really commonsense legislation, and it will make a meaningful change to the way Medicaid covers opioid use disorder for its beneficiaries. In other words, low-income people in America who get their medical assistance through Medicaid are going to get another option and more help to deal with their addiction. We are discussing this bill because a severely outdated policy limits Medicaid's coverage in an institution for mental disease--that is what an IMD is, institution for mental disease--for just 30 days. It is old. It is antiquated. It doesn't work with today's treatment regimens. This exclusion has been in place for decades--decades--certainly long before the opioid crisis ever hit our country, and it is now a barrier to critical care for low-income people on Medicaid when this vulnerable population needs help with their addiction the most. Representative Walters' thoughtful bill will allow State Medicaid programs, from 2019 through 2023, to remove this antiquated Federal barrier to treatment for those on Medicaid, age 21 to 64, with an opioid use disorder, through a State plan amendment. In doing so, Medicaid would pay for up to 30 total days of a beneficiary's care in an IMD during a 12-month period, year. So this is limited in scope.…”