House Passes Major Opioid Bill, Increases Treatment Programs, Access
The House of Representatives at the end of last week passed a major bill that expands access to opioid treatment programs and increases funding. The new legislation called the Support for Patients and Communities Act, expands the use of telehealth services opioid abuse and improves care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome. In addition, the legislation increases the types of providers offering treatments.
House: Telemedicine, More Opioid Addicts Reached
The bill integrates telemedicine to reach a greater number of opioid addicts and provides them with comprehensive treatment protocols.
In addition, this house bill reinstates a 1960’s bill, called the Institutes for Mental Disease exclusion. That bill blocked Medicaid funding from inpatient stays in mental health facilities. Also, opioid addicts can now be treated by any doctor or medical provider and medical histories can be shared.
Also very important, opioid treatment can now be covered as part of Medicare beneficiaries’ first physical examination.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.