Congresswoman Chellie Pingree said a proposal by President Obama to provide $1.1 billion in funding to tackle heroin and opioid addiction is much needed.
"This drug epidemic has hit Maine hard—an average of 5 people a week are dying of overdoses, jails are overcrowded and emergency medical calls are increasing," Pingree said. "Almost everyone seems to know a family that has been impacted by opioid addiction. I'm glad the President has stepped forward with this initiative."
Pingree is a member of the Appropriations Committee, which will take up the President's proposal.
The proposal includes $920 million to help states expand access to medication-assisted treatment for heroin and prescription drug addiction, which will be distributed based on the severity of the epidemic and the effectiveness of the programs in each state.
"We know the heroin epidemic is serious in Maine," Pingree said. "But the state's failure to expand Medicaid and low reimbursement rates have made it hard for health care providers to offer the kind of treatment that helps people who are addicted. If Congress approves this increased funding, it will be a chance for Maine to expand those treatment options."
The President's proposal includes initiatives that Pingree has been supporting in Congress, including one to allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to prescribe buprenorphine. Pingree is also a sponsor of a bill that provides emergency funding for treatment, overdose prevention and enforcement.
