Lauren Underwood

U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood has introduced legislation intended to improve access to substance abuse treatment for senior citizens.

The bill, named the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act, has bipartisan support and would require Medicare to cover “high-quality residential addiction treatment programs,” according to a news release from Underwood’s office.

Underwood, D-Naperville, said the bill is co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Paul Tonko, D-New York, Carol Miller, R-West Virginia, and David Valadao, R-California.

“Substance use disorders among seniors are on the rise, and I’ve heard from so many families who have lost older relatives to addiction,” Underwood, a registered nurse, said in the release.

“We cannot accept this as a new normal. Our bipartisan legislation will make sure seniors in our communities can get help when they need it and have access to the high-quality recovery care that they deserve,” she said.

About 7 million seniors have a drug addiction, but it can be difficult to access help because Medicare does not cover residential addiction treatment, according to the release.

This leads to delays in care and potentially to the worsening of people’s conditions, according to the release.

The bill would expand Medicare coverage for residential treatment options for older adults and people with disabilities under Medicare Part A.

“While Medicaid covers residential addiction treatment, too many seniors who rely on Medicare are left without access to these critical services or are forced to pay out-of-pocket for expensive services they can’t afford,“ Valadao said in the release from Underwood’s office.

”I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing this bipartisan bill to expand access to lifesaving treatment and better support for seniors struggling with substance use disorder," he said.