VA Opiate Overuse Subject of Another Senate Hearing

Marine’s overdose death sparking VA opiate debate 
Stars and Stripes
By Travis J. Tritten
Published: June 24, 2015

"My son had an addiction with pain meds and yet they put my son back on pain meds,” said Marv Simcakoski, his father. “They sent him home with 50 some [pills] and told him to take them regularly.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., speaks at a press conference about the Jason Simcakoski Memorial Opioid Safety Act at the U.S. Capitol, June 24, 2015. Behind her are Jason Simcakoski's father, Marv; mother, Linda; daughter, Anaya; and widow, Heather. JOE GROMELSKI/STARS AND STRIPES

WASHINGTON — Nearly a year after his death, Marine Corps veteran Jason Simcakoski was at the center of a debate on Capitol Hill on Wednesday over new regulations for opioid prescriptions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

His parents, widow and daughter watched as a Senate committee weighed an overhaul bill, sponsored by a Wisconsin senator, designed to curb overdose deaths at the state’s Tomah VA and other medical centers across the country. It was a crucial first step for the legislation, though many hurdles remain and its future is uncertain.

Simcakoski died at Tomah in August after a toxic reaction to more than 12 medications including opiates. He has become the face of what veteran groups and other advocates say is an epidemic of dangerous opioid prescriptions to VA patients.
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