Senior citizens are especially vulnerable to opioid effects, speakers tell Senate panel
Post-Gazette Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — A third of Medicare Part D participants receive opioid prescriptions through the program, but those seniors are on their own if they become addicted and need methadone treatment.
The lack of Medicare coverage for methadone is just one of the reasons a U.S. Senate panel is focusing on seniors as it addresses the opioid crisis, which affects people of all ages.
Senior citizens have different risk factors than other age groups and their needs require special attention, witnesses said Wednesday during a hearing of the Senate Aging Committee.
“The needs of older adults who experience a substance abuse condition get too often missed or ignored,” testified William B. Stauffer, executive director of the Pennsylvania Recovery Organizations Alliance and an addict who has been in recovery for 31 years. “I, too, will turn 65 He welcomed legislative one day, and I hope that I changes, but urged senators and those like me will have a to make them thoughtfully full array of recovery support so they don’t result in unintended and treatment options consequences. available.” “There is definitely a danger
Chairwoman Susan that patients or their Collins, R-Maine, and Sen. family members might seek Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, out street drugs if they feel the committee’s ranking the pain of their loved one is Democrat,are looking to help. not being adequately
Between them they are treated,” Dr. Pattavina cautioned. sponsoring bills that would “It is the physicians create grants to peer-support and nurses who are the best networks that help recovering at assessing and managing addicts, authorize hospice pain, so they should be provided caregivers to dispose of with all the necessary unused medication after a tools and their practice patient dies and require should not be excessively encumbered.” Medicare coverage of medicationtreatment. Mr. Casey said Wednesday’s
Older patients have risk testimony will inform factors that could include legislation going forward. drug interactions, compromised “We have plenty of ideas kidney function that from the hearing,” he said makes them ineligible for after it ended. “Many elderly other kinds of pain medications, citizens are going to need and increased risk of pain relief, and you can’t just magnified effects or undesirable have a blanket rule that says side effects, testified you can’t have access to Charles F. Pattavina, an painkillers. We have to find emergency room physician the right balance.” and past president of the Maine Medical Association.