Representative Brittany Pettersen

Dear [firstname],

September is National Recovery Month and I'm joining Representatives Nikki Budzinski and Kim Schrier to announce a new bill that would save countless lives and reshape the landscape of opioid overdose prevention. My mom struggled with a substance use disorder for 30 years and is only alive and in recovery today because of overdose-reversal medications like naloxone. My new bill, the Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites (HANDS) Act, will ensure people with the greatest need have immediate access to this life-saving intervention.

Click here to watch coverage of our press conference announcing the bill

Studies show that when naloxone is administered during an overdose, a staggering 93.5% of individuals survive. But unfortunately, far too many people either don’t have access to naloxone or don’t fill the prescription when they get it.

Expanding Access to Overdose Reversal Medication

This new bill requires Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover the cost when medical providers physically hand naloxone to patients who are at risk of an overdose, before they are discharged, at zero cost to the patient. We are removing financial barriers to ensure providers can meet patients where they are.

The HANDS Act extends a compassionate hand to those suffering from a substance use disorder and empowers health care providers to make decisions that can mean the difference between life and death.

Want to learn more about this bill? Click on any of the links below to hear what people across Colorado are saying.

As long as I’m in Congress, I will continue to fight to address the opioid crisis and work on legislation to protect American families. To stay up to date on everything I'm doing to combat this is public health epidemic, follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Thank you for reading,

Brittany Pettersen
Member of Congress

If you would prefer a Spanish version of my newsletters, click here.

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