Underwood, Durbin push for Medicare, Medicaid coverage expansion as senior substance abuses rises

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, and Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin want additional resources to be provided for Illinois seniors struggling with substance abuse disorders, according to a Wednesday letter issued to the federal office for Medicare and Medicaid services.

According to a letter sent to the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services shared with the Shaw Local News Network on Wednesday, Underwood and Durbin asked the center to use some of the additional $50 million in funding it was allotted in fiscal year 2022 to address substance abuse resources for seniors.

“In conversations with members of my community, I’ve heard heartbreaking stories about families who have lost older relatives to opioid addiction — particularly to heroin,” said Underwood in a news release. “This loss of life is incredibly tragic, but it’s also preventable. Medicare beneficiaries need and deserve high-quality addiction treatment options.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the number of drug overdose deaths in Illinois increased 60% between 2013 and 2018, and the overdose death rate for those 65 and older increased by more than 86%, the IDPH reported. Statewide, opioid overdose deaths rose again in 2020 from 2,167 in 2018 to 2,944 in 2020, according to the IDPH.

“It’s evident that substance use disorder is becoming a growing crisis across the board, including among older Illinoisans,” said Durbin in a news release. “We cannot allow more families to grieve the loss of a loved one because of a lack of resources to address this crisis.”

Durbin and Underwood said that additional resources should include the requirement Medicare and Medicaid cover costs of in-patient substance abuse treatment centers for Illinois seniors, saying financial barriers dissuade residents from seeking needed care.

“Expanding affordable treatment access for older adults by providing reimbursement for community-based residential treatment centers would save lives and improve health outcomes for a generation at risk,” said Jud DeLoss, CEO of the Illinois Association of Behavioral Health, in a news release.