DENVER — U.S. Representative from Colorado's 7th Congressional District, Brittany Pettersen, announced a new bill Thursday, aimed at improving medical coverage for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment.
The announcement took place at Denver's Sobriety House where Pettersen's mother was treated after a 30-year-long battle with opioids, heroin and fentanyl.
Her mother just hit her 7-year anniversary in recovery, and it was during those recovery efforts that Pettersen said she saw first-hand how hard it was to get coverage for in-patient or residential care.
Pettersen said The Recovery Act would offer a state plan option, remove what she calls "outdated treatment limitations" and ensure evidence-based care, increase the federal reimbursement rate to encourage states to opt into the plan and provide funding to states to implement the plan.