Grassley, Feinstein Urge CMS to Press Hospitals on Avoiding Unnecessary Opioids
WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley and Sen. Dianne Feinstein today urged the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to press hospitals on ways to reduce unnecessary opioid prescriptions, citing the danger to patients and extra costs to taxpayers of hospitalization due to opioid complications, including respiratory problems and falls.
“Hospital process metrics could reduce both healthcare costs and patient risk,” Grassley and Feinstein wrote to Acting Administrator Andy Slavitt. “It is our understanding, however, that despite the fact that CMS has previously acknowledged that alternatives to opioid medications are available and routinely employed at many hospitals, it does not currently encourage hospitals treating Medicare or Medicaid patients to consider alternatives to opioids through the use of process metrics.
“As such, we urge the Center to quickly evaluate and adopt process metrics to reduce the inappropriate use of opioids and encourage providers to consider alternatives to opioids, wherever appropriate.”
Grassley and Feinstein are the chair and co-Chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control. Grassley is chairman of the Judiciary Committee, where Feinstein serves as a long-time member.
The Judiciary Committee and the full Senate have passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act to address the opioid epidemic.
The text of today’s letter is available here.
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