Shatterproof released the following statement on Missouri’s Governor Michael Parson signing into law Senate Bill 514 today. The bill includes provisions that prohibit prior authorization and annual and lifetime limits for all FDA-approved medications (Methadone, Buprenorphine, and Naltrexone) for substance use disorder (SUD) in commercial insurance plans. It requires the state Medicaid plan to have all the FDA-approved medications on the preferred drug list and requires that all treatment programs disclose which medications they offer.  It was passed by the legislature during the final days of the session.

“The enactment of this bill will give countless individuals impacted by addiction access to lifesaving treatment and the opportunity to find a life in recovery. This truly was a grassroots effort with many Missouri-based Shatterproof constituents advocating for this bill and our policy staff engaged with in-state coalitions,” said Shatterproof Founder and CEO, Gary Mendell.

“This bill will remove the barriers to much needed treatment for those suffering from addiction. Special thanks to the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and its district branch, the Missouri Psychiatric Physicians Association, the Missouri Coalition for Community Behavioral Healthcare and so many leaders and advocates, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, for helping to pass this legislation. There is so much more work to be done to lessen the opioid addiction crisis in Missouri, but this is a step in the right direction,” said Gary Henson, Shatterproof board member, who provided testimony on this legislation to the House Health and Mental Health Policy Committee. Henson lost his son, Garrett, to an overdose in 2015 and has been an active advocate to prevent other families from the pain his family has experienced.  

State of the issue:

• 951 opioid overdose deaths in Missouri in 2017 (according to Missouri Dept. of Health & Senior Services)
• 774 Missouri lives were saved with Naloxone between December 2016 and May 2018 (data from MO HOPE Project)
• The passing of Senate Bill 826 that limits initial new prescriptions of opioids to a seven-day supply. This bill allows the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs to implement rules so drug disposal boxes may be placed in pharmacies for citizens to use.
• The passing of HB 2280, which extends MO HealthNet (Medicaid) coverage an additional year for mothers in need of substance use treatment. The extended coverage would be limited to benefits for substance use treatment and mental health services so long as the woman remains adherent with the treatment. Missouri is the first state in the nation to pass such a policy.

About Gary Mendell:

Gary Mendell is the founder and CEO of Shatterproof. He founded Shatterproof to spare others the tragedy his family suffered with the loss of his son Brian to addiction in 2011. He is a frequent speaker on how our society can end the stigma unjustly associated with addiction, has been honored numerous times for his leadership related to reversing the course of the opioid epidemic, testified in front of the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis and is a frequent commentator in the media. Mr. Mendell also serves on the Executive Advisory Board of the University of Pennsylvania’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics (LDI).  He is an experienced businessman and CEO who founded HEI Hotels & Resorts and is the former president of Starwood Lodging Trust.

 About Shatterproof:

Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ending the devastation addiction causes families. Shatterproof is focused on ending the stigma of addiction and ensuring treatment in America is based upon proven research. The organization advocates for changes to federal and state policy, payer reform, provider ratings, and provides public education through family and workplace programs.