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Gov. Chris Christie vetoed NJ ADF Bill



http://www.politico.com/states/new-jersey/story/2016/01/christie-vetoes-abuse-deterrent-drugs-bill-amid-addiction-treatment-push-030209

Christie pocket-vetoed a bill (A4271), passed by both chambers in the final week of the legislative session, that would have required health insurance providers, including the State Health Benefits Plan and the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, to cover abuse-deterrent opioids at the lowest level of cost-sharing.

http://origin-states.politico.com.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/files/abuse%20deterrent%20opioids%20bill.PDF

While my dedication to addressing substance abuse is
strident, I cannot blindly approve any legislation related to
this issue. This bill would mandate health benefits coverage
for abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drugs, which are developed
so that they cannot be crushed, dissolved, chewed or cut to
create a more potent and immediate effect. While the intent of
the bill is laudable, the benefits of such drugs are still
uncertain in the medical community and are the subject of ongoing
research. At least one medical journal, the New England
Journal of Medicine, has concluded that some drug abusers using
abuse-deterrent OxyContin, increase their use of other opioids,
including heroin. Therefore, it is simply too early to
determine whether this bill will accomplish its intended effect.
As Governor Cuomo similarly concluded in vetoing an analogous
bill, we need to further study this issue.

In addition to the lack of clarity regarding the efficacy
of these drugs, abuse-deterrent opioids cost approximately three
times more than opioids without these formulations. By all
accounts, this bill will cost the State over $11 million each
year, the benefits of which, as noted, are still uncertain.