Press Releases

 Today, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) and Representative Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the opioid epidemic, prevent overdose deaths, and limit financial burdens on patients. The bill – the Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act – would require Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when patients at risk of an overdose are discharged with naloxone from the emergency room at zero cost to the patient.

In 2024, an estimated 80,391 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses, averaging 285 deaths every day. Almost 70 percent of all drug-related deaths involved synthetic opioids, like fentanyl. In recent years, just 25 percent of American adults who qualified for opioid use disorder (OUD) medications were able to access them, largely because the annual cost of OUD treatment can range from $6,000 to $15,000.

“Like so many families across America, my family has been impacted by the opioid epidemic. After a back injury, my mom was overprescribed opioids that led to a decades long battle with addiction, including heroin and fentanyl. Time and time again, she ended up in the emergency room from overdosing and was never discharged with naloxone,” said Pettersen. “Today, my mom just celebrated eight years in recovery and is only alive today because of the first responders who administered overdose-reversal drugs but we must ensure that patients who are at-risk have access to this lifesaving medication. That’s why I’m proud to help introduce this legislation to ensure everyone has access to treatment when they need it the most. Addiction is a medical condition, not a moral failing, and we should start treating it that way.”

“As the Opioid Crisis continues to plague families across our nation, Congress must take action to ensure our communities are equipped to combat the issue and provide victims at risk of an overdose with the resources they need for recovery,” said Kiggans. “I am proud to support the HANDS Act to guarantee TRICARE, Medicare, and Medicaid fronts the bill to secure life-saving drugs like naloxone to those at risk of an overdose. It’s up to us to build safer, healthier communities and free them from this devastating epidemic.”

“America’s hospitals and health systems are critical access points along the substance use disorder care continuum. The HANDS Act would ease barriers to life-saving medicine by having insurance cover the cost of providing naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, at no cost to the patient. Allowing hospitals to provide naloxone to at-risk patients helps bolster the opportunity to engage with these patients to help get them into the care continuum. The AHA appreciate Reps. Pettersen and Kiggans for their leadership on this important effort,” said Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, senior vice president of federal relations, advocacy and political affairs for the American Hospital Association. 

“When a patient enters a hospital in crisis, it is our duty not only to treat their immediate needs but also to equip them with the tools to stay alive once they leave. Naloxone should be as commonplace as a prescription for an antibiotic or an inhaler. The HANDS Bill is a bold and necessary step toward turning our nation’s hospitals into life-saving distribution sites for naloxone. This legislation ensures that we don’t miss critical opportunities to prevent the next overdose death,” said Dr. Don Stader, the Naloxone Project. 

Inspired by her own mother’s struggle with a substance use disorder, Pettersen has been leading the fight against the opioid epidemic for a decade in the Colorado state legislature and now in Congress. She has introduced measures to combat this public health crisis and address everything from the import of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the financing of drug cartels, expanding access to treatment, and preventing overdose deaths by ensuring airplanes, law enforcement, and – with the HANDS Act – hospitals are able to distribute naloxone when necessary.

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