Ruiz Bill Increases Seniors’ Access To Addiction Treatments

From CA House: Today, President Trump signed into law H.R. 5605, the Advancing High Quality Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders in Medicare Act, a bill authored by Congressman Raul Ruiz, as part of H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, a comprehensive bill to address our country’s opioid crisis. Dr. Ruiz’s bill increases access for seniors on Medicare to comprehensive addiction treatment services such as psychotherapy, care management, treatment planning, and support services. Passage of his bill will help improve treatment outcomes for seniors with opioid use disorder and expand treatment options for providers here in the desert.

The bill would also reward and support treatment programs with the best outcomes, fostering innovations in care to successfully help patients. The legislation is supported by the American Medical Association, California Medical Association, American Society of Addiction Medicine, Desert AIDS Project.

“Our seniors deserve access to the highest standard of care for treating opioid use disorder. As a physician, I’ve seen many seniors who have been prescribed opioids for chronic pain, suffering in silence without access to the gold standard of comprehensive treatment programs,” said Dr. Ruiz. “My bill will expand access to wraparound services for our seniors, bringing them out of their suffering and on the road to recovery.”

“The large percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who are older people are often not well-served by traditional substance abuse treatment programs, and the focus on identification as an addict as a prerequisite to participate in recovery programs can limit participation by some older adults. Substance/opioid use disorders that develop often occur in the context of multiple medical problems needing comprehensive multidisciplinary team management, including pain management,” said David Brinkman, CEO, Desert AIDS Project.

“Congressman Ruiz’s groundbreaking Medicare health care delivery model will advance effective treatment of patients with substance use disorder,” said California Medical Association President Theodore M. Mazer, M.D. “This new model would substantially improve the current fragmented system by allowing physicians to better coordinate a multidisciplinary team to provide medical care, behavioral therapy and support services, meeting our mutual goals of cost efficiency.”

“ASAM is pleased that Rep. Ruiz’s bill to create a Medicare demonstration project to increase access to comprehensive, evidence-based outpatient treatment for opioid addiction was passed by Congress. We applaud Dr. Ruiz’s leadership on this important legislation that seeks to invest in quality, outcomes-oriented treatment,” said American Society of Addiction Medicine President Dr. Kelly Clark.

“The alternative payment model demonstration provision is based on a wealth of research showing that medications combined with medical care and psychosocial supports are effective in treating patients with opioid use disorder, allowing them to lead satisfying, productive lives. Unfortunately, the current physician payment system offers little support for the coordination of medical, behavioral, social and other support services that patients being treated for opioid use disorder need -- in addition to their medication -- to progress to successful treatment and recovery. We applaud Rep. Ruiz for supporting this demonstration of a new payment model that holds promise for significantly expanding patient access to high-quality, evidence-based care,” said Dr. Patrice A. Harris, MD, president-elect of the American Medical Association and chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force.

Image via CA House