Kuster Promotes Addiction Recovery through Health Accounts Act

(Washington, DC) – Today, Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02) promoted bipartisan legislation that would help families pay for the high costs associated with drug treatment. The Addiction Recovery through Family Health Accounts Act (H.R. 6262), which Congresswoman Kuster joined Congressman Tom MacArthur (NJ-03) to help introduce, would permit family members to use funds in employer-based health accounts and flexible savings accounts to pay for addiction treatment for any relative, even if they aren’t a dependent. 

“Across New Hampshire and the country, the opioid epidemic is devastating communities and families,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “Yet, only one in ten Americans seeks the treatment they need to overcome substance use disorder. While I’m thankful that treatment options are becoming more readily available, many families still struggle to access those options because of rising health care costs. That’s why I am proud to cosponsor the Addiction Recovery through Health Accounts Act (H.R. 6262). We must ensure families have the flexibility and choice to use all available resources to protect their families from this deadly epidemic.”

“The heroin epidemic in South Jersey is damaging our communities and changing families forever,” said Congressman MacArthur. “We have to fight this epidemic together, and the first step in this process is making sure individuals seeking treatment have the resources available to do so. A focus on treatment and recovery is incredibly important as we tackle this challenge together. Thank you to my colleagues Congresswoman Annie Kuster and Congressman Seth Moulton for partnering with me on this important fix. We are all united behind the need to take strong, effective, immediate action on this crisis. Bottom line, these families deserve our support and we are here to help.”

As the co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Kuster has been at the forefront of the fight to address the heroin and opioid crisis at the federal level and in New Hampshire. She has been an outspoken advocate for the need to support medical, law enforcement, treatment, and recovery efforts, and has heard directly from stakeholders across the state. In recognition of her leadership on this issue, Kuster was appointed to the conference committee tasked with producing the final version of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).

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