On Wednesday, October 3, the U.S. Senate approved H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (“SUPPORT”) for Patients and Communities Act, by a vote of 98-1.  The House passed its version of the legislation on September 28 and the President is soon expected to sign the bill into law.  This bipartisan, bicameral bill includes the majority of house-passed bills aimed at combating the opioid crisis, and includes regulatory reforms that will increase access to addiction treatments, encourage research on non-opioid pain treatments, and increase law enforcement activities to stop the importation of synthetic opioids into the U.S. 

Injection drug users are at an increased risk of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV or hepatitis C, and because of the overlap between the opioid and HIV/AIDS epidemics, Ryan White clinics (RWCs) are in a unique position to apply their HIV and addiction care services to any patient suffering from substance use, not just those with HIV.  This bill provides many grant opportunities to states and healthcare providers to help increase access to treatment and provide addiction management services. Attached please find a memorandum providing a breakdown of key provisions within the SUPPORT Act and a description of the various grants available to state agencies and healthcare providers, including RWCs.