Congress removes red tape blocking addiction treatment—but states may find new ways to restrict it
S. 3522 — No Red Tape For Addiction Treatment Act · Filed by Maggie Hassan (D-NH) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Dec 17, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill removes prior authorization requirements and dosage limits for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) drugs for opioid use disorder under Medicaid, requiring states to cover at least one formulation of each approved MAT drug without these restrictions. It also directs a federal commission to study how utilization management controls affect access to addiction treatment.
Why we flagged it
The bill removes administrative barriers (prior authorization, dosage limits) to increase access to evidence-based addiction treatment. It is deregulatory in nature but aimed at expanding treatment access rather than reducing safety oversight.
What the text implies
- Removal of prior authorization may increase overall Medicaid spending on MAT drugs, potentially shifting costs to state budgets and federal matching funds.
- States retain formulary control, meaning they can still limit which specific drugs are covered—the bill only prevents prior authorization and dosage limits on covered drugs.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Pharmaceutical manufacturers of medication-assisted treatment drugs; Opioid treatment programs and addiction medicine clinics; Medicaid managed care organizations (reduced administrative burden)