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Nina Milliken of Blue Hill represents District 16 in the Maine House of Representatives.
Since joining the Maine Legislature in 2022, combating the opioid epidemic has been a priority of mine. Like many others, I’ve seen the way this crisis has engulfed lives in anguish, forcing some patients to grow dependent on powerful medications in hopes of alleviating pain they suffered due to a chronic or severe ailment.
Legislative action is necessary to ensure that people know about and have access to safer alternatives to alleviate pain, especially given the groundbreaking developments occurring in the field of non-opioids, which are non-addictive treatments that can eliminate pain without the risk of addiction. Because of this, I was proud to co-sponsor LD 2096, An Act To Ensure Access To Non-opioid, Non-narcotic Medication For Acute Pain Relief.
This law will significantly improve access to safer treatments for pain by requiring health insurance carriers to allow an insured person to request and gain access to a clinically appropriate non-opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for acute pain that is not otherwise covered by the insured person’s health plan. Time, effort and diligent negotiations were needed to turn this bill into a law, but through the entire process the state lawmakers supporting this effort understood that patients shouldn’t be forced to rely on an addictive treatment that’s not right for them simply because their insurance does not cover newer, safer alternatives.
LD 2096 is a much-needed step in repairing the damage caused by the opioid epidemic here in Maine, but it’s not the only step that lawmakers should take. With a crisis this pervasive, we must leave no stone left unturned, which is why Maine’s congressional delegation is crucial to this effort as well.
Our efforts in Maine will help people who have private insurance gain access to affordable non-addictive non-opioid alternatives. But it’s well-documented that the opioid crisis has an outsized impact on our nation’s seniors given their heightened likelihood of injuries later in life. Nearly all seniors get their health insurance through the federal program Medicare, meaning if lawmakers are going to expand access to safer non-opioid alternatives for all seniors, it will require federal legislation that amends coverage for Medicare.
The good news is that there are currently ongoing bipartisan efforts in Congress aimed at doing this. If passed, the Alternatives to Prevent Addiction in the Nation ( Alternatives to PAIN) Act would not only make sure that American seniors can access non-opioid treatments at a sensible price through Medicare but would also bolster accessibility by encouraging a dialogue between patients and their doctors about preferences in pain management choices. This two-pronged approach will not only enhance affordability but will also expand awareness that safer alternatives exist in the first place.
I know that Maine’s congressional delegation understands the trauma caused by the opioid crisis here in Maine, which is why I urge them to build upon the state-led efforts taken in the Maine Legislature by supporting the Alternatives to PAIN Act.