Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, on Thursday introduced the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act, which seeks to expand access to care in residential treatment facilities for seniors recovering from substance abuse disorders. Addiction among older Americans is on the rise, prompting Congress to take action now to ensure those over 65 can afford the treatment they need.

Traditional Medicare currently does not cover non-hospital-based care. Medicare Parts A, B, and D each cover different aspects of substance use disorder services. However, of the four levels of addiction treatment defined by the American Society of Addiction Medicine, Medicare currently only covers three. Thursday’s bill aims to bridge this gap by introducing a new benefit under Medicare Part A and expanding coverage to include residential substance abuse disorder treatment options for older adults and people with disabilities.

This measure would bridge the gap and enable millions of seniors covered by Medicare to access comprehensive care for substance use disorders. US House Rep. Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) also introduced a companion bill on Tuesday.

Senator Casey’s office reports that drug overdose mortality among individuals aged 65 and older has more than tripled from 2000 to 2020. Additionally, in 2022, an estimated 1.7 million Medicare beneficiaries were confirmed to have a substance abuse disorder. Senator Casey, addressing the gap in treatments available to ‘older’ generations, said, “Despite being at higher risk for developing substance use disorders, older adults suffering from addiction are often overlooked and do not have access to the full spectrum of recovery care.”

This bill comes after the Senate Special Aging Committee held a public hearing in December to examine substance abuse by older adults.