Second District U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie has made addiction support and medical access cornerstones of his legislative work in recent months.

Guthrie stopped by the Daily News last week to discuss two bills, the SUPPORT Act and the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act, as well as his support for former President Donald Trump in the general election.

The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act

The Lower Costs, More Transparency Act aims to “expose” medical care costs to hopefully drive prices down organically rather than through direct congressional action.

Guthrie said the bill requires medical providers offer quotes for procedures and medications before taking action, allowing both individual patients and employers to know how much they will pay beforehand.

“We want to engage these big employer groups so that they can drive the market to get control of the cost, because the costs keep getting passed on to the point where it’s just unsustainable,” Guthrie said.

He added that price-setting at a federal level creates shortages if implemented incorrectly. The SUPPORT Act gives individuals “the information to make decisions that drive the changes,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie said in rare cases, patients currently end up with a copay higher than the cost of a prescription drug, adding that cases like this “exist and need to be exposed.”

The act may not ultimately bring costs down to a suitable level, Guthrie said. The information could show “the price is the price” even with a better-informed market, but he added it still opens a path for a competitor to disrupt the price.

The act would also require any rebates be returned to a patient rather than absorbed by an insurance company’s profit. Guthrie said this was a policy passed during the Trump administration but undone through the Inflation Reduction Act.

Guthrie said the bill has been passed out of the House with bipartisan support and he’s hopeful it will come to fruition as it moves through the Senate, though the current spending debate means it may need to wait.

“I think most people for both parties think people should know health care costs, should be able to price health care before they buy it, and so we’re just working on some details,” Guthrie said.

The SUPPORT Act

The SUPPORT Act was passed in 2018 to help address substance abuse across the nation. Guthrie helped lead the effort to reauthorize the act with “overwhelming” support from the House.

The act, in part, creates grant opportunities that help states bolster substance abuse treatment capabilities. It also offers substance abuse treatment coverage for children in foster care.

Guthrie said jail is no solution to addiction issues, but many who suffer from addiction end up incarcerated anyway.

“If you can help them deal with their addiction, you can typically solve their criminal problem and they don’t get back in jail,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie added that when an individual is placed in jail, Medicaid no longer covers their expenses and the state government picks up the cost.

Once released, he said it can take up to 30 days to reapply for Medicaid, posing risks to those in dire of substance abuse intervention typically covered by the program.

Part of the reauthorization would allow inmates to pre-file for Medicaid when they know their release date.

“So on day one, they qualify for Medicaid when they walk out of the jail and can go right into a treatment program,” Guthrie said.

Guthrie said he wants to see more continuing services readily offered, such as sober living facilities or halfway houses, to remove people with addictions from environments that put them at risk.

He added that employment training adds another layer to treatment by removing individuals from harm and encouraging stability. It’s a win-win both for those in recovery and businesses needing employees, Guthrie said.

The reauthorization would also place Xylazine or “Tranq,” an animal sedative sometimes mixed with drugs like fentanyl for illicit use, on the Controlled Substances list with an exemption for animal care.

Guthrie said Xylazine is particularly dangerous because Narcan can not revive someone who has overdosed on it.

The bill passed through the House with bipartisan support, Guthrie said, and is now waiting for Senate action.

Support for Trump

Guthrie said he “thinks the primaries are over” with Trump in the lead, though added that Nikki Haley is “a good candidate and would be a good president.”

He plans to support Trump if nominated and is not concerned with a future transfer of power once Trump once again leaves office.

“I’m not going to defend the ending (of Trump’s presidency), I voted to accept the results of the election,” Guthrie said. “I think that Congress doesn’t have a role in overturning elections (and) I think that was a bad vote in the House.”

Guthrie approved of Trump’s handling of foreign policy as president, especially sanctions placed on Iran which he said nearly brought the country to “collapse.”

He said Iran was selling around 10% of their current oil capacity when Trump was in office and lamented the Biden administration for allowing access to Iranian financial assets.

Guthrie also commended Trump’s work with North Korea, which he said was aimed at “bringing them into the world of nations” though unsuccessful. Trump’s handling of the economy and energy needs also bolstered Guthrie’s support, he said.

Now, he said it’s time for Republicans to rally.

“There are experts saying 250,000 People in five to seven states are going to determine who the next president is,” Guthrie said. “I think Republicans need to get together and know that that we offer a better solution than where we are today.”