The HANDS Act (Hospitals As Naloxone Distribution Sites Act) requires Medicare, Medicaid, and TRICARE to cover naloxone and other opioid overdose reversal drugs at no cost to patients when distributed by hospitals and emergency departments. The legislation applies to patients deemed at risk for opioid overdose who receive these medications upon discharge or when leaving the emergency department, beginning January 1, 2024. The bill eliminates all patient cost-sharing, deductibles, and co-payments for these preventive medications across all three federal insurance programs, recognizing hospitals as ideal locations to reach high-risk individuals who may face barriers to accessing naloxone through other channels. Within one year of enactment, the Food and Drug Administration must issue guidance to state pharmacy, nursing, and medical boards to facilitate hospital-based distribution of these lifesaving medications and remove regulatory obstacles.
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