This bill requires states to improve how they monitor and respond to people who have overdosed on opioids through their Medicaid programs. When someone survives an opioid overdose, state Medicaid programs must now actively connect them with addiction treatment and recovery services within a set timeframe. The bill also requires that doctors who prescribe opioids be notified when their patients experience overdoses or have a history of opioid addiction, so they can make better decisions about prescribing. Additionally, states must educate doctors about the safest ways to prescribe opioids to people with addiction issues or a history of overdoses. Essentially, the bill creates a system where surviving an overdose triggers a connection to help, and doctors get important information about their patients' overdose history to prevent future overdoses.

IMPROVE Addiction Care Act

Manchin, Joe, III

Improving Medicaid Programs' Response to Overdose Victims and Enhancing Addiction Care Act or the IMPROVE Addiction Care Act This bill establishes additional requirements for state Medicaid drug-use review programs with respect to individuals who experience opioid-related overdoses. Specifically, programs must include protocols that (1) connect individuals who have experienced an opioid-related overdose within the last 1 to 5 years (as set by the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services) to appropriate treatment and recovery services; (2) notify providers who prescribe opioids about subsequent fatal overdoses; (3) ensure providers are notified about an individual's history of opioid-use disorder, overdoses, or poisonings; and (4) educate providers about proper prescribing practices for these individuals.