,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #biji  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #bb1 #bjah
 ,mr4 ,heller 7for himself and ,mr4     
,bennet7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
require the ,comptroller ,general of the
 ,united ,states to study and report on 
,state ,medicaid agencies' options      
related to the distribution of substance
 use disorder treatment medications     
under the ,medicaid program4  #a4 ,short
 title  ,this ,act may be cited as the  
,assessing ,barriers to ,opioid ,use    
,disorder ,treatment ,act4  #b4 ,,gao   
study and report on ,state options      
related to the distribution of substance
 use disorder treatment medications     
under the medicaid program  7a7 ,study  
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,comptroller      
,general of the ,united ,states 7in this
 section referred to as the ,comptroller
 ,general7 shall conduct a study        
regarding the barriers to providing     

medication used in the treatment of     
substance use disorders under ,medicaid 
distribution models such as the         
buy-and-bill model1 and options for     
,state ,medicaid programs to remove or  
reduce such barriers4 ,the study shall  
include analyses of each of the         
following models of distribution of     
substance use disorder treatment        
medications1 particularly buprenorphine1
 naltrexone1 and buprenorphine-naloxone 
combinations3  7,a7 ,the purchasing1    
storage1 and administration of substance
 use disorder treatment medications by  
providers4  7,b7 ,the dispensing of     
substance use disorder treatment        
medications by pharmacists4  7,c7 ,the  
ordering1 prescribing1 and obtaining    
substance use disorder treatment        
medications on demand from specialty    
pharmacies by providers4  7#b7          
,requirements ,for each model of        
distribution specified in paragraph     
7#a71 the ,comptroller ,general shall   
evaluate how each model presents        

barriers or could be used by selected   
,state ,medicaid programs to reduce the 
barriers related to the provision of    
substance use disorder treatment by     
examining what is known about the       
effects of the model of distribution    
on--  7,a7 ,medicaid beneficiaries'     
access to substance use disorder        
treatment medications2  7,b7 the        
differential cost to the program between
 each distribution model for medication 
assisted treatment2 and  7,c7 provider  
willingness to provide or prescribe     
substance use disorder treatment        
medications4  7b7 ,report ,not later    
than #ae months after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general shall submit to ,congress a   
report containing the results of the    
study conducted under subsection 7a71   
together with recommendations for such  
legislation and administrative action as
 the ,comptroller ,general determines   
appropriate4