Malden legislators help create law to combat substance use disorder

In December, State Senator Jason Lewis and State Representatives Paul Donato, Steve Ultrino and Kate Lipper-Garabedian joined their colleagues in the Massachusetts Legislature to pass legislation that will combat the opioid crisis and support residents living with substance use disorder (SUD). An Act relative to treatments and coverage for substance use disorder and recovery coach licensure expands non-opioid pain treatments, establishes licensing for recovery coaches and supports pregnant women and their children who have been exposed to certain substances. In the summer of 2024, both the House of Representatives and Senate passed versions of the bill, and a conference committee was appointed to resolve them. The bill was then enacted in December 2024, and Governor Maura Healey signed it into law (Chapter 285) in December 2024.

Chapter 285 will greatly expand access to opioid-reversal drugs like naloxone. In 2023, 2,125 lives were lost as a result of an overdose, 232 fewer than in 2022, according to the Department of Public Health (DPH). Since 2023, naloxone has reversed more than 10,000 overdoses in Massachusetts.

“The devastating impacts of substance use disorder cause immeasurable pain to families, friends, and neighbors in our communities, especially for those who have lost loved ones,” said Senator Lewis. “This new law will help more people along their journey to recovery and save many lives.”

“This recovery bill represents a monumental step in ensuring that people with substance use disorders have access to comprehensive treatment and recovery support,” said Representative Donato. “By establishing licensure for recovery coaches, we are certifying a workforce to assist individuals on their path towards recovery.”

“This law is a powerful step forward in our fight against the opioid crisis,” said Representative Ultrino. “By expanding access to treatment, supporting recovery, and providing the resources necessary for long-term success, we are giving individuals the opportunity to reclaim their lives and rebuild stronger, healthier communities for all.”

“I was glad to join the Legislature to enact this timely piece of legislation to address our state’s ongoing opioid epidemic,” said Representative Lipper-Garabedian. “Too many families have lost loved ones to addiction. With critical provisions aimed at expanding access to resources like reversal drugs and recovery coaches and protections for our public health and harm reduction workers, this bill will save lives.”

Key provisions of the legislation:

• Mandating that all health insurance plans cover opioid reversal drugs, such as naloxone and Narcan – without cost-sharing or prior authorization
• Educating patients with a history of opioid use about reversal drugs by requiring hospitals and SUD treatment facilities to teach patients about opioid reversal drugs and to prescribe or dispense at least two doses to at-risk patients upon discharge
• Requiring pharmacies to maintain a sufficient supply of opioid reversal drugs in areas with high incidences of overdoses
• Establishing recovery coach licensure under the DPH and requiring health insurance plans to cover recovery coach services
• Expanding access to non-opioid pain treatments by incorporating non-opioid alternatives into provider training and updating insurance provider requirements to ensure inclusion of non-opioid treatments
• Boosting anti-discrimination protections for people with SUD by clarifying DPH’s authority to enforce anti-discrimination protections; prohibiting discrimination against those lawfully possessing or taking medication for opioid-related SUD treatment
• Promoting the recovery of pregnant women on medications for SUD by clarifying that encountering a substance-exposed newborn does not trigger an automatic referral to the Department of Children and Families, and directing the department to lead the creation of regulations related to care, treatment and reporting of substance-exposed newborns
• Protecting public health and harm reduction organizations from professional disciplinary action or civil or criminal liability if they are providing drug-checking services in good faith, and shielding individuals from criminal liability when seeking treatment from such organizations to help detect and protect against deadly contaminants that are increasingly found in the drug supply
• Prohibiting life insurance companies from limiting or refusing coverage to a person solely because they obtained an opioid-reversal drug, and restricting medical malpractice insurers from discriminating against health care practitioners who provide harm reduction services.