Congresspersons Fudge, Ryan introduce bill to address heroin crisis in Ohio, nationally, say heroin deaths in Ohio exceed deaths by car crashes

Ohio 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge (D-OH), also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus of Blacks in Congress

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CLEVELAND, Ohio – Representatives Marcia L. Fudge (OH-11) and Tim Ryan (OH-13) held a news conference in Cleveland on Thursday to discuss H.R. 5136, the Breaking Addiction Act of 2014.  The legislation was introduced by Fudge, a Warrensville Heights Democrat and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus of Blacks in Congress, and cosponsored by Congressman Ryan, a Nile's, Ohio area Democrat.  It establishes a five-year demonstration project to expand cost-effective, community-based treatment options to address the heroin/opiate epidemic. Click here to read more about the Breaking Addiction Act

Click here to see a copy of the legislation

 “Fatal drug overdoses now exceed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of accidental death in Ohio, " said Fudge. " Heroin alone claims more lives in Cuyahoga County than homicides. 

Cuyahoga County is the largest of Ohio's 88 counties and is roughly 29 percent Black. It includes the city of Cleveland and 58 other cities, villages and townships.

Ohio 13th Congressional District
Congressman Tim Ryan (OH-13)

"It imperative that we begin to stem this tide, and I am proud to stand with Congresswoman Fudge in support of the Breaking Addiction Act, which takes great strides to provide more individuals suffering from substance abuse with treatment options,” said Ryan.

Fudge said that "this public health threat affects communities in all regions of the country and impacts urban, suburban and rural areas alike."

The Breaking Addiction Act will enable participating states to receive federal reimbursement for Medicaid services provided to all eligible in-patients who receive treatment for chemical substance abuse at a community treatment facility.  It partially waives what is known as the Institution for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion.  The 1965 law that created Medicaid excludes states from receiving federal reimbursement for services provided in an IMD with more than 16 patient beds.  Congress, however,  did not foresee nearly 50 years ago that this exclusion would impede communities’ ability to respond to the rapid escalation of heroin addiction and abuse of opiate-based prescription painkillers. 

 “As Democratic Co- Chair of the Addiction Treatment and Recovery Caucus, I understand the damage substance abuse inflicts upon the state of Ohio and our nation," the congresswoman said.

Data show that substance abuse costs the United States an estimated $600 billion annually in health, crime and lost productivity costs, and this is nothing, said Fudge, compared to the toll it takes on the families, friends, schools and communities affected.

The proposed legislation also directs the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to prepare a report at the conclusion of the project to evaluate the impact of permitting federal reimbursement for addiction treatment on a full range of health care items and services, including costs, access to care, re-admissions and emergency care.

“By removing an outmoded barrier to funding for substance abuse treatment, we can go a long way toward reversing the heroin epidemic and saving lives," said Fudge.  "I am also confident that data collected from this demonstration project will show community treatment will lower the bill to taxpayers for overall health care and decrease law enforcement costs associated with opiate addiction."  (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)