'Enhanced funding' available for treating neonatal abstinence, tracking prescriptions.
New guidance on Medicaid-funded tools for treating opioid use disorders and preventing abuse in the first place was announced Monday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In materials aimed at state Medicaid directors, CMS's Timothy Hill, acting director of the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, outlined the program's support for treatments related to neonatal abstinence syndrome or NAS (including treatment for infants' opioid-using parents) and for technologies related to opioid prescription monitoring and telemedicine.
In a press release, CMS noted that 80% of all NAS treatment nationally is funded by Medicaid.
Not only is the infants' treatment covered, Hill noted, but "states may also seek to cover initial or ongoing SUD [substance use disorder] treatment services for Medicaid-eligible mothers and/or fathers concurrently with NAS treatment services directed at the infant."
Treating the parents maximizes the likelihood of successful infant treatment, he said.
"Through discussions with states, we have recognized their growing challenge in providing treatment services to the expanding number of infants with NAS," Hill said. "We have also recognized that states may not be fully aware of available options under Medicaid that can play a critical role in the care of these infants, as well as the limitations on Medicaid coverage."
In the second initiative, CMS highlighted "enhanced funding" available to states through Medicaid in developing "innovative substance abuse treatment" in areas with shortages of treatment providers -- including "virtual treatment centers" and "remote counseling" provided via telemedicine.