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In the summer 2013 issue of AT Forum, one theme keeps coming up—and driving—the story for opioid treatment programs (OTPs). It is health care reform—the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which goes into full-implementation mode in January 2014. Patients are going to be signing up for Medicaid and commercial insurance, which will reimburse OTPs for services as early as October, when … [Read more...] about From the Publisher: The Story for OTPs This Summer: Health Care Reform

Under the federal draft guidelines for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) issued by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) May 16, nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are explicitly given a much bigger role in methadone induction and dosing, something that medication-assisted treatment (MAT) advocates hope will be embraced by … [Read more...] about What’s New in the Draft Opioid Treatment Program Federal Guidelines: Midlevel Providers and the Importance of Recovery and Retention

With the Medicaid expansion and insurance exchanges of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) due to take effect January 1, 2014, and enrollment starting October 1, 2013, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) are gearing up for the expected increased demand for services. But they can’t expect patients to just show up—they need to make sure that they get referrals, particularly from primary … [Read more...] about Increased Demand for Treatment Under the ACA: How OTPs Should Prepare

Heading into the first year of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Jason Kletter, PhD, president of BAART Programs, a drug-treatment provider, describes the California reimbursement situation for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) as good news and bad news. “The good news is that California has elected to implement the Medicaid expansion, and that methadone is a covered benefit for … [Read more...] about Good News and Bad News for Opioid Treatment Programs in California

Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) is being thwarted by state governments and insurance companies, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) warned in a scathing report released June 20. The report, which details practices by governments, Medicaid, and insurance companies, shows that by restricting the use of methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, policymakers are … [Read more...] about ASAM: States and Insurance Companies Limit MAT in Face of Opioid Abuse Epidemic and ODs