Turn the Tide Act

Key Points

• The bill provides over $5.5 billion a year in State Opioid Response Grants from 2027 through 2031, plus $3 billion a year in substance abuse block grants, steering extra money to states with the highest overdose death rates.
• It bars state Medicaid programs from using prior authorization or other utilization controls for medication-assisted addiction treatment, so patients can start treatment without waiting for insurance approval. This takes effect October 1, 2026.
• Insurance plans, including Medicare Part D, must cover at least one opioid overdose reversal drug like naloxone with no cost-sharing and no prior authorization, starting in plan year 2027.
• The bill raises loan repayment funding for the addiction treatment workforce from $40 million to $65 million a year, makes those payments tax-free, and targets extra help to the hardest-hit states.
• It creates a new Adverse Childhood Experiences Response Team grant program and funds it at $10 million a year, helping communities coordinate police, mental health, and crisis services for children exposed to trauma.
• It raises Medicaid pay rates for mental and behavioral health providers treating substance use disorder to at least Medicare levels through 2030, with the federal government covering 100 percent of the added cost.