ALBANY – Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman issued the following statement on the passage of legislation to combat the opioid epidemic:
"The legislature's actions today are another positive step to address the opioid addiction crisis that is devastating New York families and communities. My office strongly supports lowering the barriers to patients receiving effective substance abuse treatment, and has worked to make health plans cover substance abuse treatment in adherence to federal and state parity laws. Regulatory agencies must scrutinize new and existing providers to ensure that they provide the best quality care and effective treatment, and are good stewards of taxpayers' dollars. My office will continue to do its part to root out the unscrupulous exploiters of this health care crisis. Too many families have buried their loved ones who have overdosed. Too many good doctors have watched helplessly as their patients succumb to this terrible addiction. We must continue to build on our momentum to combat this scourge of addiction."