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I have lived in Randolph County all my life. I love this county and I love this town. And I have never seen a bigger obstacle that we must overcome than what we are seeing with the opioid crisis.
The opioid crisis has torn Elkins and Randolph County apart as it has all of West Virginia. It has caused a historic number of deaths in a state that has consistently led the nation in the overdose death rate, and it has left too many family members picking up the pieces.
According to preliminary data, there were 1,243 overdose deaths in the state in 2023. That includes 10 in Randolph County. Those figures will likely increase as other data comes into the West Virginia Health Statistics Center.
We need policies and practices that are geared toward reducing those numbers. Since 2021, in the Elkins area, we have been working with multiple community and government partners on a Regional Task Force for Addiction, Homelessness, and Mental Health. This approach has taught us the importance of a multi-faceted approach with many tools in the toolbox. I believe that increasing access to non-opioid alternatives would be a crucial addition to this toolbox.
First off, what is a non-opioid medication? At their core, non-opioids are treatments that reduce pain without targeting the opioid receptors in a patient's brain. Unlike opioids, non-opioids don't activate the brain reward system of a patient or alter a patient's brain chemistry over time with sustained use. As a result, they are far less harmful to patients and do not lead to the same abuse.
In the past, the shortcoming of non-opioids was that they couldn't alleviate severe pain in the same way that opioids could, but thanks to revolutionary advancements in recent years, it's likely that the first-ever non-opioid for severe pain will be approved in the coming months.
Given the breakthroughs occurring in this field of research, it's crucial that lawmakers ensure patients have access to these less harmful alternatives at an affordable price–fortunately, some elected leaders on both the state and the federal level are doing just that.
One federal bill that can help us expand non-opioid access and reduce opioid abuse is the Alternatives to PAIN Act. The bill is being considered in both chambers of Congress and it's encouraging to see that Rep. Carol Miller has signed on as a co-sponsor for the House version. If enacted, this law would ensure that the tens of millions of American seniors who get their prescriptions through Medicare will pay no more for non-opioids than they would for generic opioids.
It also prohibits step therapy and prior authorization for people who are on Medicare Part D when doctors prescribe a non-opioid alternative. Step therapy is when an insurance carrier requires patients to try a less expensive option before they can "step up" to the more expensive alternative.
I hope we can get all of the state's delegation on board with this bill. Cost shouldn't be a factor in preventing patients from avoiding the dangers of opioid addiction. Additionally, the price tag for addiction runs much higher as we deal with the law enforcement issues and the wide range of other social consequences caused by substance use disorder.
West Virginia continues to reap the worst of the opioid crisis, which is why we shouldn't just stop at federal action. We need policies on the state level that ensure West Virginians have access to less harmful alternatives, too. House Bill 5340 would be a good first step to do this, because the bill would ban insurers from prioritizing opioids over non-opioids for patients diagnosed with substance use disorder. HB5340 was voted through the House unanimously but has stalled ever since. This issue is too important to put on the back burner. I urge West Virginia's lawmakers to enshrine HB530 into law as soon as possible.
The Alternatives to PAIN Act and HB5340 will help us reduce the number of opioids in circulation and help us address the overdose crisis.
I hope our delegation in Washington, D.C. and our lawmakers in Charleston will get on board with these proposals and get them across the finish line as soon as possible. It is good for Elkins; it is good for Randolph County, and it's good for the Mountain State.
Jerry Marco is the mayor of Elkins.