In Vermont’s opioid treatment system, devised ingeniously by Gov. Peter Shumlin with Affordable Care Act funding more than five years ago, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) are the hubs, and office-based physicians prescribing buprenorphine are the spokes. This hub-and-spoke system has solved two massive problems for office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) providers: 1) the OTPs … [Read more...] about Vermont’s Hub-and-Spoke System Could Be Model for OTPs
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NIMBY: Even in an Opioid Epidemic, OTPs and Patients Fight an Uphill Battle
Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) across the country have been engaged in battles to locate, in the case of new facilities, and to expand, in the case of already existing ones. The problem isn’t with federal regulators, who are mainly supportive of OTPs. Rather, the barriers come from the very communities where treatment is needed. This article will sum up some of the ongoing … [Read more...] about NIMBY: Even in an Opioid Epidemic, OTPs and Patients Fight an Uphill Battle
Patient Advocate Calls On Federal Government to Fight NIMBY
Jocelyn Woods, MA, executive director of the National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery (NAMA-R), has a lot to say about NIMBY-ism. As the lead advocate for OTP patients, she shared her thoughts with AT Forum. “Research was conducted decades ago showing that methadone reduces crime and public health problems,” she said. “Even more importantly, for the majority of … [Read more...] about Patient Advocate Calls On Federal Government to Fight NIMBY
Health Policy Takes Aim at Two Epidemics—OUD in Pregnancy and NAS in Newborns
A comprehensive review article in Obstetrics and Gynecology summarizes troubling data on the epidemic of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy, and the subsequent sharp rise in the incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) (withdrawal symptoms in newborns). The article also evaluates recent policy decisions and discusses their implications. Opioid treatment programs … [Read more...] about Health Policy Takes Aim at Two Epidemics—OUD in Pregnancy and NAS in Newborns
RI Health Homes Initiative: Improving Wellness for The Patient, And The Bottom Line for Medicaid
People with opioid use disorders are a small percentage of Medicaid enrollees, but they represent a significant percentage of costs in terms of emergency department utilization and repeat hospital admissions. By using opioid treatment programs (OTPs) as these patients’ “health homes,” the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is hoping that these costs can be … [Read more...] about RI Health Homes Initiative: Improving Wellness for The Patient, And The Bottom Line for Medicaid
