Underwood, Durbin Medicare Push for Residential Drug Treatment Hailed

(Springfield, IL) – Approximately 68,000 older Illinois residents suffer from a substance use disorder according to an estimate by one of Illinois’ top behavioral health advocate groups, which is applauding an initiative by U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood (IL-14) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin urging the federal government to explore extending Medicare coverage to include residential substance use treatment facilities.

“The Illinois Association for Behavioral Health applauds Rep. Underwood’s and Sen. Durbin’s leadership in calling for better coverage of substance use treatment services under Medicare,” said Jud DeLoss, CEO of the Illinois Association of Behavioral Health. “Expanding affordable treatment access for an estimated 68,000 older adults in Illinois alone by providing reimbursement for community-based residential treatment centers would save lives and improve health outcomes for a generation at risk.”

In a letter sent to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on October 19, Underwood (IL-14) and Durbin urged Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to take every possible action to address this growing crisis for Illinoisans and the approximately 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries nationally with a substance use disorder.

“In conversations with members of my community, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories about families who have lost older relatives to opioid addiction — particularly to heroin.” said Underwood. “This loss of life is incredibly tragic, but it’s also preventable. Medicare beneficiaries need and deserve high-quality addiction treatment options, and I call on CMS to take swift and comprehensive action to expand access to evidence-based initiatives to prevent and treat substance use disorders among older Americans.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the overall number of drug overdose deaths in Illinois increased 60 percent between 2013 and 2018, and the overdose death rate for those 65 and older increased by more than 86 percent.

“It’s evident that substance use disorder is becoming a growing crisis across the board, including among older Illinoisans. We cannot allow more families to grieve the loss of a loved one because of a lack of resources to address this crisis,” said Durbin. “In our letter, Representative Underwood and I urge the administration to use every authority at its disposal to reach out and help Medicare beneficiaries who may be struggling with addiction.”

DeLoss says that Medicare coverage of residential treatment centers would provide older adults the level of affordable care they need.

“By expanding access to affordable residential substance use disorder services provided by treatment programs through Medicare would fill a gaping hole in care needed by older Illinois residents,” said DeLoss.

davidormsby@davidormsby.com