To the Members of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives:
The undersigned organizations representing health care providers write to express our appreciation for
the bipartisan, bicameral legislation that is intended to curb opioid addiction and change the national
perspective on how pain is managed and substance use disorder is treated.
Passage of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) represents a first step by the United
States Congress in attacking the opioid epidemic, and we applaud the bipartisan work that led to this
milestone. As providers, we appreciate the comprehensive framework of prevention, treatment, and
recovery support that CARA’s provisions can provide.
Over the last decade, the growing opioid epidemic has affected millions of Americans. CARA exemplifies a
shift to recognizing addiction as a disease, rather than as a crime or a moral failing. Now we must be able
to ensure treatment for this disease is available to all in our country who need it.
We therefore urge Congress to continue to build on CARA’s achievements, and to next ensure that
appropriate funding is made available in order for providers to have the resources they need to prevent
opioid addiction from claiming more lives and causing more devastation to families and communities.
Thank you for your bipartisan work to date on this important issue, and we stand ready to support
continued efforts by Congress to ensure both new and existing treatment efforts at the local,
state, and federal level are appropriately funded
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