Greg Walden

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5041) to amend the Controlled Substances Act to authorize the employees of a hospice program to handle controlled substances in the residence of a deceased hospice patient to assist in disposal, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of this legislation, and I want to commend my friend and ranking member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey. He has worked tirelessly on this very important policy. Hundreds of millions of parcels containing illicit or unapproved drugs enter the United States supply chain each year, and they do it through international mail facilities. Through the mail, Mr. Speaker. That poses a major threat to public health. These parcels are often difficult to identify as they contain little or no labeling, and the Food and Drug Administration's current detention and destruction authorities over these parcels, turns out, it is pretty limited. H.R. 5228 seeks to strengthen FDA's authority to refuse and destroy substances identified through these international mail facilities and improve enforcement mechanisms available to the agency to combat the influx of illegally manufactured opioids into the country. I know, in my conversations with Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who heads the FDA, he has added the resources he could find within his agency and has brought many of these issues to our attention. He has been a real leader on this issue for the Trump administration, and I thank him for his work. But it is clear this bipartisan legislation that Mr. Pallone brings to us today is essential as we join together to interdict and stop the flow of illegal drugs into the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I encourage passage of this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I just want to again say, as my friend and colleague from New Jersey has outlined, you understand the importance of why we need to make these changes under the law. I again commend him for his work on this. I encourage all my colleagues to support this very critical piece of legislation. This could do more to stop the flow of this illegal fentanyl and the death it brings to our country than any other thing we can do. I commend the gentleman for his work on this. I encourage support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill, sponsored by my colleagues, Representatives Upton, Walters, Blackburn, and myself, requires the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, known as MACPAC, to submit to Congress by January 1, 2020, a report about the services furnished to Medicaid enrollees who are patients in an IMD, that is, an institute of mental disease. As we know, an IMD is a facility of more than 16 beds that is primarily engaged in providing diagnosis, treatment, or care of persons with mental diseases, including treatment for individuals with substance use disorder. Now, since the 1960s, Medicaid's IMD exclusion has limited the circumstances under which Federal Medicaid matching funds are available for inpatient mental healthcare. This means that Medicaid beneficiaries with mental health or substance use disorders are statutorily barred from receiving care in an IMD. While Medicaid has the IMD exclusion, there is great need for this care. According to SAMHSA's 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, about 8 million people--8 million, Mr. Speaker--had a mental disorder and a substance use disorder, also known as co-occurring mental and substance use disorders. So where do Medicaid beneficiaries get the inpatient care they need? That is the question. First, States can provide Medicaid coverage for services rendered in facilities that do not meet the definition of an IMD, such as facilities with 16 or fewer beds, and facilities that are not primarily engaged in providing care to individuals with mental diseases. Second, States can get a waiver to allow for IMD services to be reimbursed. However, as we all know, waivers take a lot of time, and not all States have them. So because of these complications, there is a great variation, and, frankly, little information on IMD services. That information is limited to one GAO report about types of institutional care. The goal of this legislation is to better help Congress and CMS understand how current Medicaid dollars are being used to provide care for patients with substance use disorder and mental health disease in an IMD. This bill seeks to identify gaps in our knowledge about IMDs and leverage MACPAC's research capabilities to help address these gaps. Given the broad bipartisan interest in ensuring patients have access to the full continuum of care, we want to ensure Congress and CMS understand how Medicaid dollars for services are being used, whether that is under a waiver, under managed care, or under fee-for-service Medicaid. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the former chairman of the full committee, the chairman of the Energy Subcommittee, who was very instrumental in this legislation.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5800) to require the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to conduct an exploratory study and report on requirements applicable to and practices of institutions for mental diseases under the Medicaid program.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 4684, Ensuring Access to Quality Sober Living Act of 2018. This legislation will require the Department of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate best practices for operating recovery housing. We heard a lot about these issues in the course of our investigation and in our legislative work. Recently, an increasing number of reports have revealed the nefarious practice of patient brokering. This is where individuals known as ``patient brokers'' treat men and women with a substance use disorder as a commodity. They push them to seek treatment at certain outpatient facilities and to live at affiliated recovery residences while undergoing treatment. In exchange for steering patients towards specific facilities and housing, patient brokers then receive generous financial kickbacks. Oftentimes, the residence and the treatment center involved in the kickback scheme lack any oversight, transparency, or accountability. This legislation will help ensure that recovery residences maintain safe and supportive environments for those who are in recovery. I would like to thank my California colleagues, Judy Chu, Mimi Walters, and Raul Ruiz, along with Florida Representative Gus Bilirakis, for addressing this important issue and bringing this legislation to the committee and to the floor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4684) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to publish and disseminate best practices for operating a recovery housing, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, Members should support this very important legislation. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 4284, the Indexing Narcotics, Fentanyl, and Opioid Act of 2018, more easily known as the INFO Act. This legislation will facilitate the linking of all nationwide health efforts and strategies to combat the opioid crisis into one place, as well as create an interagency substance abuse disorder coordinating committee to review and coordinate research, services, and prevention activities across all relevant Federal agencies. This is going to be a tremendous resource for patients, families, and local communities and their leaders. I want to thank my colleague from Ohio (Mr. Latta) for leading this important initiative. I think all of us in our districts, Mr. Speaker, have heard directly from people saying: I don't know what resources are there at the Federal level. I don't know where to go access it. Can't you do something? That is why Mr. Latta, who chairs our Subcommittee on Digital Commerce and Consumer Protection, rose to the challenge and put together this piece of legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Latta) to discuss the importance of this legislation.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I, too, would encourage our colleagues to support this fine piece of legislation and, again, commend its authors for doing the good work that will help so many in our districts. Mr. Speaker, I urge support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4284) to establish a Federal Coordinator within the Department of Health and Human Services, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on the bill.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support for H.R. 5261. This is the Treatment, Education, and Community Help to Combat Addiction Act, or more easily known as the TEACH to Combat Addiction Act. This legislation will designate and support centers of excellence or institutions of learning that have championed substance use disorder treatment. Improving how professionals are taught to effectively teach substance use disorder will also increase access to evidence-based treatment, in other words, treatments that will work and that we can prove will work. I want to thank my colleagues, Representative Bill Johnson and Paul Tonko, for leading this bipartisan and really important initiative. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson), the leader on our committee, to talk more about his legislation.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5261) to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for regional centers of excellence in substance use disorder education, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank Members on both sides for their good work on this legislation. I urge passage, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5329) to amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and enhance the poison center national toll-free number, national media campaign, and grant program, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN

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

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5582) to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study and submit a report on barriers to accessing abuse- deterrent opioid formulations for individuals enrolled in a plan under part C or D of the Medicare program, as amended.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers on this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WALDEN

Mr. WALDEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.