Advocates Urge Lawmakers to Improve Access to Methadone Treatment and Residential Addiction Care

Strategic Insights -

Physicians and addiction specialists are meeting with federal lawmakers to advance legislation that modernizes methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and covers residential addiction treatment under Medicare. The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) is hosting the Addiction Medicine Advocacy Conference (AMAC) to advocate for policies that help Americans with addiction access evidence-based treatment. The fentanyl crisis has led to a significant increase in opioid-related deaths, making evidence-based treatment like methadone essential.

Methadone is uniquely effective in addressing OUD, but outdated restrictions limit its dispensing to federally regulated opioid treatment programs, which are not available in approximately 80% of U.S. counties. Additionally, Medicare does not cover residential addiction treatment, creating a significant barrier for seniors with addiction. To address this, attendees at the AMAC conference are urging lawmakers to:

  • Re-introduce and co-sponsor the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA), which would allow board-certified addiction specialist physicians to prescribe methadone for OUD treatment that can be picked up at community pharmacies.
  • Re-introduce and co-sponsor the Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9232 / S. 4860), which would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs that meet nationally recognized standards.

Key Takeaways:

  • Methadone treatment for OUD is uniquely effective but is limited by outdated restrictions and lack of Medicare coverage for residential addiction treatment.
  • Approximately 80% of U.S. counties do not have federally regulated opioid treatment programs, making methadone inaccessible to many Americans.
  • Medicare does not cover residential addiction treatment, creating a significant barrier for seniors with addiction.
  • The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (MOTAA) would allow prescribers to prescribe methadone for OUD treatment that can be picked up at community pharmacies.
  • The Residential Recovery for Seniors Act (H.R.9232 / S. 4860) would create a Medicare Part A benefit for residential addiction treatment programs that meet nationally recognized standards.

Statistics:

  • 48.4 million people aged 12 or older had a substance use disorder in the past year (SAMHSA, 2024).
  • Only 5.9 million people (12%) received treatment for a substance use disorder in 2024 (SAMHSA, 2024).
  • 80% of U.S. counties do not have federally regulated opioid treatment programs, making methadone inaccessible to many Americans.

Sources:

  • American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM). (2024). Press Release: Addiction Medicine Advocacy Conference (AMAC).
  • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2024). National Survey on Substance Abuse and Health (NSDUH).