The House has approved legislation to give health care providers more tools to deal with the opioid crisis. They passed a bill that increases coverage of treatment for substance abuse disorders through Medicaid. They also have added methadone clinics to Medicare. Jordan Dux, Director of National Affairs for the Nebraska Farm Bureau welcomes the legislation as Rural America is right at the center of the opioid epidemic.

He says this legislation is just the first of several attempts to battle the problem.

Dux says the problems from opioid abuse grow into other areas that need addressing compounding the situation.

The House measure passed on a 396 to 14 vote.