Nuccio Applauds Passage of Bipartisan Substance Abuse and Mental Health Bill
HARTFORD — Following her work with members of the Insurance Committee to address mental health and substance abuse issues during the 2021 session, State Representative Tammy Nuccio (R-Tolland) urged her colleagues to pass bipartisan legislation on Wednesday seeking to prevent the misuse of prescription medication and explore access to alternative forms of treatment.
HB-6588, An Act Concerning Mental Health Care and Substance Abuse Services, would prevent insurers from requiring that patients receive a supply of prescription medication greater than what a provider deems clinically-appropriate.
Nuccio, who serves the towns of Ashford, Tolland and Willington in the General Assembly, said she’s heard from numerous constituents concerned by the potential for harm in providers required to dispense 90-day prescriptions of psychotropic medication.
“This pandemic has aggravated an underlying mental health issue in our state. Whether due to social isolation or economic anxieties, more people are struggling to find ways to cope. I am hopeful this bill will begin the process of forging a partnership between Connecticut and the private sector to understand the role the market plays in addressing mental wellness,” Nuccio said.
According to the Connecticut Hospital Association, which testified in support of the proposed legislation, the state has witnessed a recent uptick in recorded drug overdoses partially due to the inappropriate use of opioids and other prescription drugs.
The state Department of Health found that “from January through December 2020, there were 1,359 confirmed drug overdose deaths and 78 pending cases waiting for toxicology confirmation. DPH noted that there was a 13.3 percent increase in drug overdose deaths by December 2020, compared to the same period in 2019.”
Seeking to provide residents with alternative pathways to care, Nuccio worked with colleagues on the Insurance Committee to incorporate language from her own bill establishing a state mental health task force.
Nuccio proposed a floor amendment to include representatives of the Office of Health Strategy and the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services on the task force and, in a sign of bipartisan support, the amendment was adopted by a voice vote.
“Peer support networks prove to be critical in enabling long-term recovery and preventing re-hospitalizations during the recovery process. They are also a cost-benefit to the consumer, and any way that the state of Connecticut can explore expanding networks without a cost for taxpayers, we should be pursuing it,” Nuccio said.
Certified peer support networks are an active part of health care teams in all 50 states and are already Medicaid reimbursable in over 41 states. According to the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), “peer support services can effectively extend the reach of treatment beyond the clinical setting into the everyday environment of those seeking a successful, sustained recovery process.”
Following a unanimous vote in the House on Wednesday, the bill now heads to the Senate where it awaits further action before the legislative session expires on June 9th.
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