Bill > HR5120

This bill, known as the "Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites Act" (HANDS Act), aims to provide no-cost coverage for opioid overdose reversal drugs across multiple federal healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE, starting January 1, 2026. The legislation specifically focuses on ensuring that preventive opioid overdose reversal drugs (such as naloxone) are provided at no cost to patients who are identified as being at risk for an opioid overdose, primarily when they are being discharged from a hospital, emergency department, or ambulatory surgical center. The bill requires these drugs to be furnished by healthcare professionals like physicians, nurse practitioners, or physician assistants, and mandates that the drugs be given together with administration instructions. The legislation eliminates cost-sharing for these medications across different healthcare systems, ensuring that eligible patients can receive these life-saving drugs without financial barriers. Additionally, the bill requires the FDA and Health and Human Services to issue guidance to state medical boards and hospitals about safe drug distribution and billing practices. Importantly, the bill does not mandate that healthcare providers must furnish these drugs, but rather creates a framework for their no-cost availability when deemed medically necessary.

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https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/5120/all-info