Underwood, Durbin Urge Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to Address Rising Rates of Substance Abuse Among Older Americans

WASHINGTON – Today, in a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Congresswoman Lauren Underwood (IL-14) joined Senator Dick Durbin (IL) to urge CMS to act immediately to address the rapidly rising rates of substance use disorders among older adults in Illinois. 

“In conversations with members of my community, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories about families who have lost older relatives to opioid addiction — particularly to heroin,” said Underwood. “This loss of life is incredibly tragic, but it’s also preventable. Medicare beneficiaries need and deserve high-quality addiction treatment options, and I call on CMS to take swift and comprehensive action to expand access to evidence-based initiatives to prevent and treat substance use disorders among older Americans.” 

The rates of heroin and substance abuse among older Americans have reached crisis levels. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the overall number of drug overdose deaths in Illinois increased 60 percent between 2013 and 2018, and the overdose death rate for those 65 and older increased by more than 86 percent.  

Older Americans face other severe health consequences associated with substance use disorders, including increased risk of suicide, mood disorders, lung and heart conditions, and memory problems. 

“It’s evident that substance use disorder is becoming a growing crisis across the board, including among older Illinoisans. We cannot allow more families to grieve the loss of a loved one because of a lack of resources to address this crisis,” said Durbin. “In our letter, Representative Underwood and I urge the administration to use every authority at its disposal to reach out and help Medicare beneficiaries who may be struggling with addiction.” 

“The Illinois Association for Behavioral Health applauds Representative Underwood’s and Senator Durbin’s leadership in calling for better coverage of substance use treatment services under Medicare,” said Jud DeLoss, CEO of the Illinois Association of Behavioral Health, an organization helping communities and seniors with substance use disorders. “Expanding affordable treatment access for older adults by providing reimbursement for community-based residential treatment centers would save lives and improve health outcomes for a generation at risk.” 

As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Underwood worked to secure $6.5 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration in the FY22 government funding package, as well as a $50 million increase in funding for CMS. The letter urges CMS to use those funds and the agency’s existing authority to address this alarming crisis, and use every available pathway to help people struggling with addiction.  

A copy of the letter can be found here. 

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