U.S. President Donald Trump displays a presidential public health emergency declaration on the nation’s opioid crisis in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., October 26, 2017. © Kevin Lamarque / Reuters
Under the new measures, health officials will be able to access telemedicine services, including substance abuse treatment for people living in rural and remote areas. The Department of Health and Human Services will be be able to make temporary appointments of specialists to respond to the emergency. The Department of Labor will be allowed to issue worker grants to help those displaced from the workforce due to addiction, and shifts resources within HIV/AIDS programs to help people eligible for those programs receive substance abuse treatment.
The administration will also provide relief for state governments looking to access Medicaid funding for drug treatment centers with more than 16 beds.