Senate confirms first doctor to head ONDCP
… and other Briefs from the Beltway
The U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Rahul Gupta as the new head of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Dr. Gupta, a former commissioner of health in West Virginia and more recently the chief medical and health officer, interim chief science officer and senior vice president at March of Dimes, is the first doctor to be ONDCP director and was nominated last July after leading the Biden-Harris transition team for ONDCP.
Opioid Settlements
A week before Gupta was confirmed, ONDCP also made news releasing a model law for state legislatures that, if enacted in individual states, would help ensure opioid litigation settlement funds are directed to addressing addiction and the overdose epidemic in impacted communities and with public accountability. This, however, comes amid setbacks — in California and Oklahoma — in the legal fight to hold Big Pharma accountable.
Overdose Prevention
In other Administration news, Health and Human Services Secretary Becerra announced HHS’s new Overdose Prevention Strategy, which includes prioritizing primary prevention, harm reduction, evidence-based treatment, and recovery support. The need only grew more urgent on the heels of devastating news from the CDC that the 12-month period ending in March 2021 brought a new record high in the number of overdose deaths in the U.S.
Funding Set-aside for Recovery
Elsewhere in Washington, Congress is continuing to negotiate additional funding and reforms to support people with substance use disorders and mental health conditions. Just last week, Hazelden Betty Ford hosted Congressman Dean Phillips and other public policy leaders and recovery advocates for a virtual town hall to discuss President Biden’s proposal — now weaving its way through the Congressional appropriations process — to fund $3.5 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant, including a first-ever set-aside of 10% for recovery supports. You can watch the event on-demand and support the cause now by taking action here.
Parity Enforcement
Finally, still on the radar and included in the negotiations for President Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda is the bipartisan Parity Enforcement Act of 2021, co-authored by Reps. Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Norcross (D-NJ). Their bill would expand the Department of Labor’s authority to enforce the requirements of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 on health insurance plans across the country. This comes as state and federal actions continued to grow over 2020 and 2021 alleging insurer misconduct. Hazelden Betty Ford has strongly supported the need for additional parity enforcement including through this bill. You too can urge Congress to include it in the Build Back Better Act — advocate for parity here.
As always, Hazelden Betty Ford will continue to advocate for public policies, including those highlighted here, that support a better future for our communities. I encourage you to do the same by including your voice in the recovery movement today!
Emily Piper is executive director of government relations and contracting for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
