States that have Medicaid funding for methadone treatment are far more likely than states without such funding to have Medicaid-enrolled patients in treatment programs, researchers have found. In 17 states, however, Medicaid does not pay for methadone treatment. For the study, “Medicaid Coverage for Methadone Maintenance and Use of Opioid Agonist Therapy in Specialty Addiction … [Read more...] about Medicaid Coverage of Methadone Essential in Treatment Access for Opioid Use Disorders: Study
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AATOD Board Meeting With Federal Officials: Buprenorphine Cap Main Issue
The two-day meeting of the board of directors of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), which took place in December in Washington, DC, was an opportunity for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to learn about plans and to share their concerns with regulators. Many policy topics were discussed, including the exemption process for the expanded … [Read more...] about AATOD Board Meeting With Federal Officials: Buprenorphine Cap Main Issue
Administrative Withdrawal: Discharging OTP Patients for Nonpayment
Opioid treatment programs (OTPs), like other health care providers, are not required to provide patient care without charge. If a patient can’t pay, and has no insurance and no Medicaid coverage, the OTP can—humanely—withdraw the patient from methadone. Key parts of this story are Medicaid expansion and Medicaid payment for OTP services—both are state-by-state policies. For … [Read more...] about Administrative Withdrawal: Discharging OTP Patients for Nonpayment
Stigma Article Series: Part I – Patients With Opioid Addiction Continue to Face Stigma
Publisher’s Note: Despite the current buzz about the expansion of opioid-agonist treatment, stigma continues to prevail. This is the first in a series of four articles exploring the causes and consequences of stigma in opioid addiction, and offering suggestions from experts on ways to minimize its effects. Epithets—junkie, crackhead, stoner—they’re only words, but they’re … [Read more...] about Stigma Article Series: Part I – Patients With Opioid Addiction Continue to Face Stigma
Stigma Article Series: Part II – Watch Your Language! Stigmatizing Patients Who Have Addiction Disorders Can Worsen Clinical Care
In two editorials published soon after he was appointed senior editor of the Journal of Addiction Medicine, Richard Saitz, MD, MPH, FACP, DFASAM, briefly discussed a topic that is timely and among his favorites: terminology that stigmatizes people who use addictive substances—specifically, opioids. International Anti-Stigma Statement His first editorial, published online in … [Read more...] about Stigma Article Series: Part II – Watch Your Language! Stigmatizing Patients Who Have Addiction Disorders Can Worsen Clinical Care
