Dr. Yngvild Olsen submitted testimony on the Fiscal Year 2021 LHHS Appropriations Act.

ASAM and the AMA are recommending that states with declared states of emergency request blanket exceptions from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that will help patients in an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

LSAM submitted a letter in support of SB213, which would which would require that medical necessity determinations related to substance use disorder (SUD) be made in accordance with the ASAM Criteria by certain insurance policies.

ASAM sent a letter urging key legislators to appropriate funding for programs to bolster the addiction treatment workforce.

Various stakeholders, including Kim Brandt, the Principal Deputy Administrator for Policy & Operations at CMS, and Dr. Shawn Ryan, the chair of ASAM's Legislative Advocacy Committee, testified before the Subcommittee on Health of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Dr. Shawn Ryan urges lawmakers to advance bills that would ensure the treatment of addiction is taught, standardized, and covered throughout the United States.

The Bipartisan Opioid Task Force released their 2020 legislative agenda which includes key bills to bolster the addiction treatment workforce.

ASAM Board Member Dr. Anika Alvanzo attended a panel discussion on the opioid epidemic hosted by The Hill. She used the discussion to highlight various pieces of legislation currently under consideration by Congress that would help turn the corner on the opioid overdose epidemic.