“When someone asks for help, the answer shouldn’t be a stack of paperwork.”

That is true in most facets of our lives, but in this case, U.S. Sen. Jim Justice, R-W.Va., is talking about addiction treatment — and rightfully so.

Those ready and willing to seek help sometimes find themselves confronted with a daunting number of hoops to jump through. But Justice and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., have introduced the No Red Tape for Addiction Treatment Act.

“This legislation cuts through the red tape and puts lifesaving addiction treatment where it belongs — in the hands of doctors for patients that need them,” Justice said.

As Hassan pointed out in the announcement of the bill, the substance abuse crisis continues to evolve, and fentanyl is still destroying families and communities across the country.

“Medication-assisted treatment is the gold standard for treating opioid use disorder, and this commonsense bipartisan bill will help ensure that people grappling with addiction have immediate access to this evidence-based, life-saving medication. I am grateful for Senator Justice’s partnership on this bipartisan effort to remove barriers to treatment and help save lives,” Hassan said.

The act would get rid of prior authorization requirements for those with Medicaid coverage who need medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction. It would require all state Medicaid programs to cover at least one version of each FDA-approved medication for that use.

They may seem like small steps, but they are important steps to take if lawmakers are serious about giving a hand up to those asking for it.