The MORE Savings Act is designed to make opioid addiction treatment more affordable and accessible for people on Medicare and those with health insurance. Right now, many people struggling with opioid addiction face high out-of-pocket costs like copays and deductibles that prevent them from getting the help they need. This bill removes those financial barriers by requiring Medicare and private health insurance plans to cover opioid treatment medications, overdose reversal drugs, counseling services, and recovery support services without charging patients any cost-sharing fees.

The bill takes effect in 2025 and works in two main ways. For Medicare, the government will test this approach in 15 states that have been hit hardest by the opioid crisis—places with high overdose death rates, large rural populations, and many Medicare beneficiaries. For private insurance, all health plans must immediately start covering these services with no copays or deductibles. Additionally, the bill increases federal funding to help state Medicaid programs pay for medication-assisted treatment, offering a 90 percent federal reimbursement rate to make sure states can afford to expand these services.

Essentially, this bill removes money as an obstacle to getting opioid addiction treatment. Whether someone is on Medicare, has private insurance, or relies on Medicaid, they'll be able to access medications like methadone or buprenorphine, counseling, peer support groups, and other recovery services without worrying about affording their share of the costs. The goal is to help more people overcome opioid addiction by making treatment as accessible as possible.

MORE Savings Act

Casey, Robert P., Jr.

Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency Savings Act or the MORE Savings Act This bill modifies coverage of opioid treatments and recovery support services under Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance. Specifically, the bill requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model in which specified opioid treatments and recovery support services are provided under Medicare without cost-sharing (e.g., coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles). The bill also allows state Medicaid programs to cover recovery support services as part of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and increases the applicable Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for MAT. Additionally, beginning in 2025, private health insurers must cover specified opioid treatments and MAT-associated recovery support services without cost-sharing.