This bill nullifies part of the final rule issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) titled Medications for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder and published on February 2, 2024.
The rule incorporated into regulations certain flexibilities for opioid treatment that were initially implemented during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The bill nullifies these flexibilities, including (1) expanded flexibility for patients in their first or second month of treatment to receive take-home doses of methadone, (2) flexibility to use telehealth examinations to admit patients for treatment involving buprenorphine or methadone, and (3) expanded access to evidence-based practices such as splitting doses for certain patients.
Pursuant to a statutory requirement, the rule also allowed patients to be admitted to an opioid treatment program without having to show at least a one-year history of opioid misuse. The bill nullifies these provisions of the rule.