Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and Payment Act of 2018

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 42,000 Americans died from opioid-related drug overdoses in 2016. That is five times more than the overdose rate in 1999.

As we have heard from countless Members in this Chamber, there is no congressional district that hasn't been impacted by the opioid crisis. No town or city is immune from the devastating impact of addiction, and I hope that the steps we take today are the first of many to address the needs of our communities.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, or SAMHSA, estimated that in 2016, 11.8 million Americans over the age of 12 had misused opioids in the past year and 3.8 million were currently misusing prescription pain relievers.

But while we are seeing news reports of the devastating toll this crisis is taking on our Nation's young people, it is important to note that our seniors are also suffering. From 2005 to 2014, individuals 65 years and older experienced an 85 percent cumulative increase in opioid-related inpatient stays and a 112 percent cumulative increase in emergency department visits, the largest increase of any age group.

Compared to other age groups, individuals 65 and older have the highest rate of opioid-related inpatient stays in 13 States, including my home State of California.

This crisis is especially acute for the nonelderly Medicare population. In 2015, nonelderly Medicare beneficiaries, or those who qualify on the basis of disability, had opioid utilization rates more than twice that of elderly beneficiaries.

The bill before us, H.R. 6110, contains numerous provisions aimed at improving access to treatment for Medicare beneficiaries suffering from opioid use disorders, including access to nondrug opioid alternatives.

While every alternative will not work for every person, when dealing with a crisis of this magnitude, I believe that we must use every tool in the toolbox.

This bill contains two bipartisan provisions I authored with my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski) for working with me on language that would direct CMS to study barriers to patient access to nondrug alternatives for opioids in chronic care settings.

Studies conducted by the NIH have concluded that alternative treatments, like acupuncture, can be effective in treating conditions like chronic pain. This issue is very important to me, because I have been working to expand access to acupuncture since I first arrived in the California State legislature many years ago. I have heard firsthand what a difference acupuncture can make in the lives of patients.

I remember very clearly when I heard the testimony of a woman who had severe back pain, but did not want invasive surgery and risk possible addiction to morphine.

Instead, she sought acupuncture, and it worked for her. She avoided the risks associated with surgery and certain pain medications.

Furthermore, we know access to physical and occupational therapy also helps alleviate pain and eliminates the need for an opioid prescription.

By asking CMS to examine where barriers to these alternatives exist, we can open the door to more treatment alternatives for beneficiaries.

I am also proud that this bill includes a provision I authored with the gentlewoman from North Dakota (Mrs. Noem) to address the need for more psychologists in the Medicare program. This bill would direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to examine ways for beneficiaries to familiarize themselves with coverage for psychologist services and request a study from the General Accountability Office on the viability of mental and behavioral health services in the Medicare program.

As one of only two psychologists in Congress, I firmly believe that expanding access to psychologist services in Medicare is one of the most important things we can do to improve the mental health of our senior population.

We know that those who suffer from depression or other mental health disorders are particularly vulnerable to addiction. For those who have already taken the incredibly difficult step of seeking treatment, we need to ensure that they have access to the full range of mental health professionals who can support them on the journey to recovery.

H.R. 6110 also contains a number of provisions from my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee. Congress Members Levin and Marchant authored a provision to review certain Medicare payments in outpatient settings to determine whether there are financial incentives in the Medicare program to use or prescribe opioids instead of evidence-based, nonopioid alternatives.

Next, the legislation includes a provision introduced by Congress Members Sanchez and Roskam that would direct the Secretary of HHS to evaluate the extent to which Medicare Advantage programs offer medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, and cover nonopioid alternative treatments not otherwise covered under traditional Medicare as part of a supplemental benefit.

Finally, this bill would also include a provision from Congress Members Danny Davis and Rothfus that would provide grants to federally qualified centers and rural health clinics to help offset the cost of training providers to become certified in dispensing medications for opioid abuse dependence.

While the provisions in the bills before us this afternoon will certainly move us in the right direction, we cannot stop here. For example, the Medicaid program pays for the majority of mental health and substance abuse treatments in this country and, yet, we see multiple attempts by Republicans over the past 4 years to slash this program.

We must maintain protections for those with preexisting conditions so that those who sought treatment for their addiction disorders are not punished for trying to get sober.

We must maintain the progress we have made with the Affordable Care Act and work together to bring down the premiums for American families so that, should they need coverage for mental health counseling or substance abuse treatment, no one is shut out because of how much money they make or what State they live in.

So I hope that today represents the first step, and I hope my colleagues on the other side of the aisle will continue to work with us to invest in prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts all across the country.

I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am encouraged to see my colleagues on the other side of the aisle turn their attention to this critical issue. But this is not a new problem, and the coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act have been among the most significant steps the Federal Government has taken to stem the tide of the opioid crisis. And yet, Republicans in Congress and President Trump have actively worked to repeal this landmark law.

The Medicaid expansion and the increased coverage under the individual market have provided millions of Americans access to health insurance, and research has shown that Medicaid expansion States have seen a greater reduction in deaths from opioids than nonexpansion States.

Again, Medicaid is the biggest payer for substance use disorder treatment in this country. We simply can't afford to go back.

As we discuss this crisis today and in the week to come, we must broaden our understanding of the ways in which we, as a Nation, approach chronic pain. That is exactly what H.R. 6110 does.

While there will always be patients who have a legitimate need for these medications, we need to look beyond a system where an opioid prescription is

the automatic default. This means we need to look to alternative methods of treating pain, whether it be acupuncture or physical therapy or a medical device. It means we must examine existing policies that may have inadvertently incentivized opioid prescribing practices.

But as much as we look forward, we must also address the crisis in front of us. So I am thrilled to see provisions in this bill that would study Medicare Advantage plans already doing groundbreaking work in substance abuse disorder treatment.

I am also glad to see that this bill provides direct resources to the front lines in the form of grants for federally qualified health centers to provide additional training for our providers.

I hope that, in the future, we will work to expand access to alternatives, both within the Medicare program and in the broader population, and ensure that no matter where someone lives or what kind of insurance coverage they have, they are able to seek treatment.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6110, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5676) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to authorize the suspension of payments by Medicare prescription drug plans and MA-PD plans pending investigations of credible allegations of fraud by pharmacies, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5676, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today in strong support of H.R. 5676, a bipartisan bill centered on protecting Medicare beneficiaries from abusive opioid prescribing, while ensuring appropriate access to medically necessary medications. This bill strikes a balance, which we need.

H.R. 5676, introduced by our colleagues--Mr. MacArthur, Mr. Blumenauer, Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Collins, Ms. Kuster, and Mr. Tonko-- extends an existing authority in the Medicare fee-for-service program to Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans.

According to a recent report released by the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, one-third of Medicare part D beneficiaries received an opioid prescription in 2016, costing the program $4.1 billion and representing as many as 79.4 million prescriptions. The report found that as many as half a million part D beneficiaries received high amounts of opioids, with almost 70,000 receiving extreme amounts of opioids, many of them as a result of doctor shopping.

For years, the Medicare fee-for-service program has been able to suspend payments to a provider or a supplier pending an investigation of a credible allegation of fraud against the provider or supplier. Extending this authority to the Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans will help bridge the gap in the care of beneficiaries and halt the fraudulent activity that contributes to the opioid crisis.

I would like to thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle on the Ways and Means Committee for their commitment to working cooperatively on this, and also our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, particularly Congressman Burgess, who chairs the Health Subcommittee, and also Chairman Walden. They played a role in laying the groundwork for policies like this that crack down on abusers.

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to continuing to work on this issue on both sides of the aisle and with the administration on policies that will further strengthen the integrity of the Medicare program.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.

Hon. Greg Walden,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding several

opioid bills the Committee on Ways and Means ordered

favorably reported to address the opioid epidemic. The

following bills were also referred to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce.

I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive

formal consideration of the following bills so that they may

proceed expeditiously to the House Floor:

H.R. 5774, Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals

(COACH) Act;

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and

Educations Resources (PROPER) Act;

H.R. 5776, Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment (MOST) Act;

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addition for Susceptible Seniors

(PASS) Act;

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement

(SENIOR) Communities Protection Act; and

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and

Payment Act.

I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the

bills, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way

waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in

those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X

jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate

conference involving this legislation.

I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this legislation on the House

floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I just want to go into a little bit more detail and focus on how it is that we are here today and why there is an urgency to this.

The gentlewoman just mentioned some staggering statistics: 9,000 pills per individual over a decade in a particular town. It tells you that the system has gotten entirely out of balance.

There are a lot of explanations and there are not a lot of clean hands:

We know that there have been government policies that have driven, in part, the opioid crisis by evaluating providers on whether or not pain satisfaction has been completed on the patient side of things;

We know that in some cases there have been healthcare providers that have not gone into the detail of getting to the root of a problem;

We know that we, as a culture, put extraordinary pressure on healthcare providers when we tell them we want them to help us get out of pain; and when we do that, sometimes, Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, we put ourselves at risk, and we know that pharma has a lot to answer for.

All of those things we know are true, and I think what is encouraging to me is this idea of people coming together on both sides and recognizing we don't have to live this way anymore. We don't have to have a system that drives people in this direction.

Let me just go back to this inspector general report from the Department of Health and Human Services that says that 79 million prescriptions involving opioids were prescribed in 2016 alone. That is a staggering number.

And I think that, if we are diligent, if we are forward thinking, and if we continue to work together, both sides of the aisle coming together, Mr. Speaker, I think that, in 10 years, our country will be having a different conversation on opioids. It may take that long, but I think, in 10 years' time, if we do the work, if we are committed to this, we can look back and we can say: That was a time when the United States came together around a public health crisis; that was a time when people had a general understanding that they needed to get over the normal approaches on things; and that was a time that people came together with holistic approaches.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. MacArthur)

Mr. Speaker, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentleman from New Jersey.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, in a nutshell, I think the gentlewoman from California put it well. What she was arguing was this bill strikes a balance,

which it does. It is designed to focus our time, our attention, and our energies on making sure that the bad actors are weeded out, that the abuse is stopped, and that we can bring balance to the system.

The Stop Excessive Narcotics in Our Retirement Communities Protection Act, or SENIOR Communities Protection Act, is another step in this direction to protect our Nation's seniors. This bill was brought to the floor through a bipartisan committee process, and I urge its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6110) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the review and adjustment of payments under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system to avoid financial incentives to use opioids instead of non-opioid alternative treatments, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 6110, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6110, the Dr. Todd Graham Pain Management, Treatment, and Recovery Act.

Solving the opioid epidemic requires everyone to work together at all levels, from the Federal Government down to those on the front lines of this fight.

My legislation focuses on increasing access to pain management alternatives that do not involve opioids and improving recovery treatment options for those suffering from opioid use disorder.

Additionally, my legislation contains the following provisions that will also be vital in overcoming this crisis: H.R. 5778, the Promoting Outpatient Access to Non-Opioid Treatments Act introduced by Representative Kenny Marchant and Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Sander Levin, which requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or HHS, to require payments made to hospital outpatient departments and ambulatory surgery centers to ensure there are no financial incentives to use opioids over nonopioid alternatives; H.R. 5769, the Expanding Access to Treatment Act introduced by Representatives Keith Rothfus and Danny Davis, which provides payments to federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to offset the cost of their providers receiving training so they are able to provide medication-assisted treatment that will help individuals recover from opioid use disorder; H.R. 5725, the Benefit Evaluation of Safe Treatment Act introduced by Health Subcommittee Chairman Peter Roskam and Representatives Linda Sanchez, John Shimkus, and Raul Ruiz, which directs the Secretary of HHS to evaluate the extent to which MA plans offer medication-assisted treatments and cover nonopioid alternative treatments not otherwise covered under a Medicare fee for service as part of a supplemental benefit; and H.R. 5790, the Medicare Nurse Hotline Act introduced by Representatives Kristi Noem and Judy Chu, which directs the Secretary of HHS to educate patients on the availability of psychologist services and explore the use of hotlines to reduce unnecessary hospitalizations and Medicare.

The bill is named after my friend Dr. Todd Graham. He was a double board certified physician in both physical medicine and rehabilitation and pain medicine who lived and worked in my district in northern Indiana.

Last year, he was senselessly murdered after refusing to prescribe an opioid to a patient.

Dr. Graham prided himself on serving his patients in a friendly and caring fashion. He treated each person individually, taking the time to offer specific steps to treat their issues.

One day last year, he had an interaction with a patient demanding opioids, a situation that has become disturbingly all too common. He stood firm in refusing to write a prescription for her, but her husband, who was also there, became increasingly angry throughout that visit. Two hours after they left his office, the husband returned and murdered him in cold blood.

Dr. Graham's loss has been a heavy blow, but his legacy of compassion and enthusiasm lives on through his wife, Julie; their two daughters; and their son, who plans to follow in his father's footsteps.

We are lucky to have the Graham family with us here today to witness the passage of this important bill.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.

Hon. Greg Walden,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding several

opioid bills the Committee on Ways and Means ordered

favorably reported to address the opioid epidemic. The

following bills were also referred to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce.

I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive

formal consideration of the following bills so that they may

proceed expeditiously to the House Floor:

H.R. 5774, Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals

(COACH) Act;

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and

Educations Resources (PROPER) Act;

H.R. 5776, Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment (MOST) Act;

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addition for Susceptible Seniors

(PASS) Act;

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement

(SENIOR) Communities Protection Act; and

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and

Payment Act.

I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the

bills, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way

waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in

those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X

jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate

conference involving this legislation.

I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this legislation on the House

floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, having no other speakers, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this epidemic knows no boundaries. Opioid abuse continues to devastate families and communities all over this country. As we continue to work toward commonsense solutions to the opioid epidemic, this bipartisan legislation will help break down barriers to nonopioid treatments and give healthcare providers better tools to prevent addiction and to assist in recovery.

I want to thank Chairman Brady for all of his hard work, as well as my friend Ms. Judy Chu of California, who helped develop and introduce this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5773) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require Medicare prescription drug plans to establish drug management programs for at-risk beneficiaries, require electronic prior authorization for covered part D drugs, and to provide for other program integrity measures under parts C and D of the Medicare program, as amended.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5773, currently under consideration.

Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Madam Speaker, I stand in strong support of H.R. 5773, a bipartisan bill centered on curbing opioid overuse by increasing program integrity efforts and increasing resources for beneficiaries to help ensure that they are properly adhering to their prescribed pain medications.

My home State of Illinois is experiencing a notable increase in opioid-related overdose deaths. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, there has been a 44.3 percent increase in drug overdoses from 2013 to 2016. This staggering statistic is not limited to my district alone. This crisis has affected all of our districts, and for some, the four walls of our own homes.

For this reason, Congress is taking action today to continue our work to deliver solutions to the opioid epidemic that is plaguing far too many American families.

H.R. 5773, which I have introduced with my colleagues Representatives Knight, Sewell, and Sinema, packages several previously introduced bills.

Specifically, H.R. 5773 includes policies under my bill H.R. 5716, the Commit to Opioid Medical Prescriber Accountability and Safety for Seniors Act, otherwise known as the COMPASS Act, introduced with Representative Larson, that ensures prescribers are notified of their opioid prescribing patterns to help educate them on proper prescribing.

Second, the bill includes H.R. 4841, the Standardizing Electronic Prior Authorization for Safe Prescribing Act, led by Representatives Schweikert and Mike Thompson, to standardize electronic prior authorization to reduce physician burden and ensure medically necessary access to drugs, like opioids, that have dangerous side effects and high risk of abuse.

And third, this bill contains policies from H.R. 5715, the Strengthening Partnerships to Prevent Opioid Abuse Act, led by Representatives Renacci and Sewell that will establish a portal to better facilitate communication between plan sponsors and the Medicare program to prevent opioid overuse and overprescribing.

And finally, the bill contains policies from H.R. 5684, the Protecting Seniors from Opioid Abuse Act, championed by my colleagues Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania and Mr. Thompson of California, which expands Medication Therapy Management services to those who are at risk of opioid overuse.

Madam Speaker, I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance policies like all the bills we have today that will further prevent opioid overuse and overprescribing, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.

Hon. Greg Walden,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding several

opioid bills the Committee on Ways and Means ordered

favorably reported to address the opioid epidemic. The

following bills were also referred to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce.

I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive

formal consideration of the following bills so that they may

proceed expeditiously to the House Floor:

H.R. 5774, Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals

(COACH) Act;

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and

Educations Resources (PROPER) Act;

H.R. 5776, Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment (MOST) Act;

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors

(PASS) Act;

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement

(SENIOR) Communities Protection Act; and

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and

Payment Act.

I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the

bills, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way

waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in

those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X

jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate

conference involving this legislation.

I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this legislation on the House

floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Kelly).

Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I have spent a lot of time, as I know we all have, listening to my own constituency, the west and northwest suburbs of Chicago. I have listened to physicians, police chiefs, educators, caregivers, and others, and I have heard a common theme, and the common theme is: We need legislation that encourages the use of alternative treatments, that increases provider education and assists with detection of those who are at risk. The Preventing Addiction for Susceptible Seniors, PASS Act, will help do this.

I would like to thank my colleagues on the Ways and Means Committee for working together in a bipartisan effort by recognizing this crisis and coming together in offering this solution. I would also like to thank our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their commitment to working on this, particularly my counterpart who chairs the Health Subcommittee, Dr. Burgess, and Chairman Walden as well.

This bill was brought through the committee process in a bipartisan fashion, and now, on the floor, I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of H.R. 5773, the PASS Act, to prevent overuse and overprescribing in the Medicare program.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5775) to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to require Medicare Advantage plans and part D prescription drug plans to include information on the risks associated with opioids, coverage of certain nonopioid treatments used to treat pain, and on the safe disposal of prescription drugs, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 5775, currently under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I stand today in strong support of H.R. 5775, the Providing Reliable Options for Patients and Educational Resources Act, or the PROPER Act.

This is a bipartisan bill centered on increasing educational resources for Medicare beneficiaries and improving pain-related questions contained in patient satisfaction surveys.

H.R. 5775, introduced by my colleagues Erik Paulsen, Ron Kind, Brian Fitzpatrick, Bruce Poliquin, and Conor Lamb, contain several bills to combat the opioid crisis, including H.R. 5686, the Medicare CHOICE Act; H.R. 5714, the Education for Disposal of Unused Opioids Act; and H.R. 5719, the Reduce Overprescribing Opioids in Treatment, or ROOT Act.

Unfortunately, my home State of Florida has seen a dramatic increase in opioid-related overdose deaths in the past several years. Every year, thousands of Floridians become addicted and lose their lives to opioid addiction.

Effective alternatives to opioids, such as physical therapy and medical devices exist, and in most instances are covered by Medicare.

However, many seniors and providers simply aren't aware of the coverage options. Education is a key tool for seniors to make informed decisions about their healthcare.

For this reason, the Ways and Means Committee sprang into action and passed H.R. 5775 unanimously. This bill contains provisions authored by my colleagues Erik Paulsen and Ron Kind to inform seniors about alternative nonaddictive pain management therapies covered by Medicare.

This bill also includes a provision led by my colleagues Diane Black, Joe Crowley, Richard Hudson, and Raul Ruiz to educate seniors on safe disposal of unused controlled substances.

Lastly, this bill includes another provision led by Diane Black and Tom O'Halleran requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to remove all pain-related questions contained in Medicare's hospital patient surveys unless the individual experiencing the pain is also informed about the risks associated with the use of opioids and given information on nonopioid alternatives for the treatment of pain.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleagues for their strong bipartisan work. This bill will make a difference in addressing the opioid epidemic that continues to devastate many Americans and their families.

Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Ways and Means,

Washington, DC, June 8, 2018.

Hon. Greg Walden,

Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Walden: I write to you regarding several

opioid bills the Committee on Ways and Means ordered

favorably reported to address the opioid epidemic. The

following bills were also referred to the Committee on Energy

and Commerce.

I ask that the Committee on Energy and Commerce waive

formal consideration of the following bills so that they may

proceed expeditiously to the House Floor:

H.R. 5774, Combatting Opioid Abuse for Care in Hospitals

(COACH) Act;

H.R. 5775, Providing Reliable Options for Patients and

Educations Resources (PROPER) Act;

H.R. 5776, Medicare and Opioid Safe Treatment (MOST) Act;

H.R. 5773, Preventing Addition for Susceptible Seniors

(PASS) Act;

H.R. 5676, Stop Excessive Narcotics in our Retirement

(SENIOR) Communities Protection Act; and

H.R. 5723, Expanding Oversight of Opioid Prescribing and

Payment Act.

I acknowledge that by waiving formal consideration of the

bills, the Committee on Energy and Commerce is in no way

waiving its jurisdiction over the subject matter contained in

those provisions of the bills that fall within your Rule X

jurisdiction. I would support your effort to seek appointment

of an appropriate number of conferees on any House-Senate

conference involving this legislation.

I will include a copy of our letters in the Congressional

Record during consideration of this legislation on the House

floor.

Sincerely,

Kevin Brady,

Chairman.

Madam Speaker, the PROPER Act will bring much needed education to our seniors.

This bill was brought through the committee process in a bipartisan fashion, and now on the floor I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of H.R. 5775, the PROPER Act.

This is another example of how Republicans and Democrats can come together, can work together, to help struggling families in our country, and in this case seniors, who should be aware of all the different options that are available to them for pain treatment and should certainly be aware of the many risks associated with opioid use.

Madam Speaker, I am grateful to all my colleagues and to committee staff for all their work on this legislation, and I strongly encourage everyone to support it, and I yield back the balance of my time.