The
Massachusetts Medical Society commends the legislature for several thoughtful
proposals to increase access to evidence-based medication for opioid use
disorder, both by increasing the capacity of prescribers of medications to
treat opioid use disorder and by removing barriers to all types of medically
necessary care.
The
Medical Society therefore supports expansion of the coverage treatment mandate
from 14 days to 28 days, as proposed in House bill 1732 and Senate bill 1150,
An Act to Expand Access to Patient Centered Care for Opioid Use Disorder. The
Medical Society believes that for patients for whom inpatient treatment has
been deemed medically necessary, there should not be unnecessary prior
authorizations that prohibit access to effective treatment. The expansion to
include medically necessary transitional support services as a statutorily
covered service is an important step forward in assuring proper treatment of
substance use disorder in the Commonwealth. Lastly, any increase in coverage is
only as effective as the access that a given insurance network provides. We
therefore strongly support the provisions of these bills that prompt the DOI to
conduct a network adequacy review of these services.
While
the legislature has championed significant expansions in access to opioid use
disorder treatment, many of these advances have been focused in certain
portions of the continuum of addiction care such as detoxification and clinical
stabilization services. Several remaining steps in clinical care, including
many “step-down” services toward the end of a continuum, are still in need of
significant attention. We therefore support House Bill 1749/Senate Bill
1155, An Act Establishing a Commission to Study the Availability of a Continuum
of Care for Persons with Substance Use Disorder.
Lastly,
even with increased capacity of and additional treatment facilities across the
full continuum of care, the reality for many patients and families in crisis is
that the complexity of the system prohibits timely utilization—even when there
are physicians who are taking patients or facilities with appropriate beds
available. We therefore support Senate Bill 1167, An Act Relative to
Regional Navigators for Substance Abuse Treatment, which would establish regional
navigators to assist individuals seeking treatment for drug or alcohol
addiction. Regional navigators can
be effective in helping patients and families break through complex
administrative and logistical barriers to access much needed services.
The
Massachusetts Medical Society hopes that these bills together could offer
important steps forward in ensuring that all patients in Massachusetts with
substance use disorder have timely access to the evidence-based care that they
deserve.
