Representative Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM) https://lujan.house.gov has introduced the “Medicaid Substance Use Disorder Treatment via Telehealth Act”. This bill would provide states with options to leverage telehealth to increase services and treatments for Medicaid patients.
This bill also contains language focusing on treatments for individuals with co-occurring serious mental illness and substance use disorder. Similar legislation was introduced by Senator Tom Carper (D-Del) https://www.carper.senate.gov is referred to as the “Opioid Crisis Response Act”.
The House bill directs:
- CMS to issue guidance to states on options for providing services via telehealth that addresses substance us disorders under Medicaid
- CMS to issue a report to Congress identifying best practices and potential solutions to barriers furnishing services to children via telehealth as compared to services delivered via telehealth as opposed to in-person
- GAO to evaluate children’s access to Medicaid services to treat substance use disorders including options to improve access through telehealth