New Opioid Bill Mandates Zero-Cost Treatment Access for Medicare and Private Insurance by 2027

The Maximizing Opioid Recovery Emergency Savings Act, or MORE Savings Act, is a major push to eliminate the financial hurdles blocking access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment. It focuses on removing cost-sharing—the copays, deductibles, and coinsurance—for life-saving OUD care across Medicare, private insurance, and Medicaid, making treatment essentially free at the point of service.

The Medicare Zero-Deductible Test Run

Section 2 of the bill directs the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMI) to launch an affordability test in 15 states. The goal is simple: eliminate all out-of-pocket costs for Medicare beneficiaries seeking evidence-based OUD treatment. This zero-cost mandate applies not just to medications (including overdose reversal drugs) but also to behavioral health services—even those provided in licensed residential facilities—and crucial recovery support services like peer counseling and transportation. This demonstration project is guaranteed a five-year run, meaning for the first half-decade, the rules ensuring free access can’t be easily pulled out from under patients, providing stability for those in recovery. To be selected, states must have a high overdose rate, a large Medicare population, and significant rural territory, targeting the resources where the need is highest.

Private Insurance: A Mandatory Coverage Shift

If you get health insurance through your job or the individual marketplace, Section 3 is where the change hits. Starting with plan years on or after January 1, 2027, all group health plans and individual insurance policies will be required to cover OUD treatment with zero cost-sharing. This means no copays, no deductibles, and no coinsurance for the same essential services covered under the Medicare test: medications, behavioral health services (including residential care), and recovery support. For the millions of Americans juggling high-deductible plans, this is huge; it means getting life-saving treatment won't require hitting a $6,000 deductible first. While this is a massive win for patients, it shifts the financial burden entirely onto insurers, which could potentially lead to adjustments in overall premium costs to offset the lost revenue from copays.

Medicaid Gets a 90% Federal Boost

Section 4 targets Medicaid, the program that covers the most vulnerable populations. It temporarily bumps up the federal government’s matching rate for state spending on Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) to 90 percent. This means for every $10 a state spends on MAT, the federal government covers $9. This enhanced funding is designed to encourage states to ramp up their MAT availability. Crucially, the bill also formally allows states to use this federal funding to cover recovery support services—like peer counseling and transportation—alongside MAT. This recognizes that beating addiction isn't just about the medication; it’s about having the community and logistical support to stay healthy, especially for those in low-income brackets.