8 I Winter 2018 www.anjc.info www.njchiropractors.com I 9 Legislative Update TECHNIQUE Council S C H O L ARSHIP WI N N E R S Insurance Update MEDICARE Q&A Legislative Update Legal Ease LEGAL ANJC Leadership Headquarters UPDATE Legal Q&A On January 9, 2018, Craig Coughlin took the oath as the new Speaker of the New Jersey General Assembly. Assemblyman Jerry Green took the oath again as Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore; Lou Greenwald returned as Assembly Majority Leader and five newly elected Democrats took their oaths when the New Jersey General Assembly reorganized. The Assembly membership of the Democratic caucus in November designated Coughlin (D-Middlesex) to lead the Assembly during this 2018-19 legislative session. The Woodbridge resident will preside over an Assembly led by Democrats 54-26, the largest Democratic majority since 1978. During the reorganization cere- mony, the 80-member assembly was sworn in to the two-year terms they won in November’s election. New members include: •  John Armato (D), of District 2 in Atlantic County •  Carol Muprhy (D), of District 7 in Burlington County •  Ryan Peters (R), of District 8 Atlantic, Burlington and Camden counties •  Roy Freiman (D), of District 16, in Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex and Somerset counties •  Yvonne Lopez (D), of District 19, in Middlesex County •  Harold Wirths (R), of District 24, in Morris, Sussex and Warren counties •  Shanique Speight (D), of District 29, in Essex County •  Christopher DePhillips (R), of District 40, in Bergen, Essex, Morris and Passaic counties Senate President Steve Sweeney and Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg were reelected by the 25 members of the Senate Democratic Majority to serve in the top leadership positions for the new 218th Legislature, and Senator M. Teresa Ruiz was voted by the caucus members to serve as Senate President Pro Temp. Senator Sweeney filled the leader- ship team by selecting Senator Paul Sarlo as Deputy Majority Leader and chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee; Senator Sandra Bolden Cunningham as Deputy Majority Leader and chair of the Higher Education Committee, and Senator Nicholas Scutari as chairman of the Judiciary Committee. Senate President Sweeney added an additional seat to the Democratic majority, making their majority 25-15. During the reorganization cere- mony, the 40-member Senate were sworn to the four-year terms they won in November’s election. New members include: •  Chris Brown (R), of District 2 in Atlantic County •  Troy Singleton (D), of District 7 in Burlington County •  Vin Gopal (D), of District 11 in Monmouth County •  Declan O’Scanlon (R), of District 13 in Monmouth County This will be the first time in eight years since the Democrats have held majorities in both houses as well as the Governor’s office. I anticipate a very active first quarter of the year to include issues such as a millionaires’ tax, marijuana legal- ization, voter registration overhaul, controlling rising out-of-network costs and a higher minimum wage Jon Bombardieri and his firm, CLB Partners, serve as the Government Affairs Counsel to the ANJC. New Jersey is in crisis mode. Opioid addiction and overdoses are skyrocketing throughout New Jersey. Law enforcement and EMS are having a tough time keeping up with the flood of overdose calls and violence plaguing the streets of our towns and cities. Many may argue that it is the illegal drugs, like heroin, that are killing thousands of people each year. They’d be correct – to an extent – however, it’s not just heroin. Nearly 2,000 people in New Jersey lost their lives in 2016 due to drug overdoses, with a large amount attributed to opioids. Many people who develop a heroin addiction often do so after being prescribed pain killers, such as Percocet, Oxycodone or Oxycontin. Once these pills run out and a prescription cannot be obtained, they often turn to drug dealers to fill their needs. Along with Percocet and heroin, Fentanyl has been afflicting New Jersey for several years. Though meant to be used for relief of break-through pain, Fentanyl has been adding fuel to the opioid crisis and is often abused by addicts for its “heroinlike” euphoric effect. While it can be found on the streets and obtained illegally, it can also be abused under a physician’s care. Unfortunately, there have been several doctors in New Jersey caught up in the opioid crisis them- selves, with reports of arrests and charges of erroneously or overpre- scribing painkillers to their patients for their own financial gain. One significant case involves a young woman who was prescribed Subsys, a form of Fentanyl, and Oxycontin for pain relief after being injured in two car accidents. Her Cherry Hill, N.J., doctor, along with a saleswoman from a drug company, persuaded the patient to begin using the spray. Less than a month after the initial prescription was written, her dosage was tripled, and she ended up in the hospital with “hyper-sedation”. Though the hospital urged her doctor to stop Subsys, she continued prescribing it, and ultimately, the young woman was found dead months later from an overdose. New Jersey is fighting back, and has developed many initiatives to combat opioid addiction. In early 2017, former Governor Chris Christie launched a campaign specifically focused on opioid addiction. The campaign consists of television ads, billboards and online ads and featuring recovering addicts. In September, the former Governor also announced a $200 million plan to combat the crisis. Funding will go towards already existing successful programs, and will also be put toward the development of new ones. It was announced in December that Rutgers will receive $1.3 million in state funding to begin an appren- tice program for more than 200 people to become Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselors. In October, $1.7 million in federal grants were allocated to four programs throughout the state, including $600,000 to the State Parole Board that will allow parolees to receive anti-addiction medication for the first time. The state has also taken a stance against some of the drug companies that produce these highly addictive painkillers. In October, New Jersey’s attorney general filed suit against Purdue Pharma, L.P., makers of OxyContin, for what he described as “a campaign of almost incon- ceivable callousness and irrespon- sibility.” A suit was also filed against Insys Therapeutics, makers of Subsys, and the state also subpoe- naed Johnson & Johnson. One thing for certain, it is incum- bent upon the chiropractic commu- nity to accelerate its message to the public that chiropractic care relieves pain and heals holistically without subjecting a patient to addictive and potentially deadly medications. Legally, families that have suffered a tragic loss because of allopathic and osteopathic physicians recklessly and unnecessarily over medicating patients may be subject to medical malpractice claims, especially if the patient is young with no history of drug use or addiction. With an average of 142 Americans losing their lives each day to opioids, the time for these initiatives to transpire is now. Garry R. Salomon, Esq. is a partner at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon P.C. and a premier supporter of ANJC. He is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Civil Trial Attorney. If you have any legal questions, feel free to call him at 201-907-5000. By Jon Bombardieri By Garry R. Salomon, Esq. 2018 LEGISLATURE NEW JERSEY’S OPIOID CRISIS