S. 2909Senate115th Congress (2017-2019)In Committee

Assessing Barriers to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTC

The Assessing Barriers to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Act directs the U.S. Government Accountability Office to analyze how state Medicaid programs distribute medication‑assisted treatment for opioid addiction and what obstacles exist. It focuses on models such as buy‑and‑bill, pharmacy dispensing, and specialty‑pharmacy ordering, looking at patient access, program costs, and provider willingness. The goal is to provide Congress with recommendations to improve Medicaid’s ability to deliver these treatments.

Key Provisions

The Comptroller General must conduct a study on how different Medicaid distribution models (such as buy‑and‑bill, pharmacy dispensing, and specialty‑pharmacy ordering) create barriers to accessing medication‑assisted treatment for opioid use disorder.
The study must examine each model’s impact on Medicaid patients’ access to medications like buprenorphine and naltrexone, the cost differences for the Medicaid program, and how willing providers are to prescribe or dispense these drugs.
Within 15 months of the bill’s enactment, the Comptroller General must deliver a report to Congress that includes the study’s findings and any recommended legislative or administrative actions to reduce identified barriers.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

May 22, 2018

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 22, 2018

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Finance Committee

May 22, 2018

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 22, 2018

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 2909

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 22, 2018

Mr. Heller (for himself and Mr. Bennet) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To require the Comptroller General of the United States to study and report on State Medicaid agencies' options related to the distribution of substance use disorder treatment medications under the Medicaid program.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Assessing Barriers to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Act.

GAO study and report on State options related to the distribution of substance use disorder treatment medications under the medicaid program

(a)

Study

(1)

In general

The Comptroller General of the United States (in this section referred to as the Comptroller General) shall conduct a study regarding the barriers to providing medication used in the treatment of substance use disorders under Medicaid distribution models such as the buy-and-bill model, and options for State Medicaid programs to remove or reduce such barriers. The study shall include analyses of each of the following models of distribution of substance use disorder treatment medications, particularly buprenorphine, naltrexone, and buprenorphine-naloxone combinations:

(A)

The purchasing, storage, and administration of substance use disorder treatment medications by providers.

(B)

The dispensing of substance use disorder treatment medications by pharmacists.

(C)

The ordering, prescribing, and obtaining substance use disorder treatment medications on demand from specialty pharmacies by providers.

(2)

Requirements

For each model of distribution specified in paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall evaluate how each model presents barriers or could be used by selected State Medicaid programs to reduce the barriers related to the provision of substance use disorder treatment by examining what is known about the effects of the model of distribution on—

(A)

Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to substance use disorder treatment medications;

(B)

the differential cost to the program between each distribution model for medication assisted treatment; and

(C)

provider willingness to provide or prescribe substance use disorder treatment medications.

(b)

Report

Not later than 15 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of the study conducted under subsection (a), together with recommendations for such legislation and administrative action as the Comptroller General determines appropriate.