CMS Innovation Center to increase access to opioid use disorder treatment services

Nov. 23, 2020

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation launched a request for application (RFA) for a new initiative that aims to increase access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment services to eligible Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) beneficiaries, including those dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid.

The innovation center, which is part of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the initiative is one of a number of new initiatives required under the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (the SUPPORT Act).

The statute makes available $10,000,000 annually from 2021-2024 for demonstration payments.

Value in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment is a four-year demonstration that creates two new payments to participating providers: a per beneficiary per month care management fee (CMF) and a performance-based incentive payment. The innovation center said the new payments will be made in addition to the OUD treatment services Medicare currently covers.

Value in Treatment participants may use these payments to furnish certain patient-centered OUD treatment services and have a reasonable expectation of improving or maintaining the health or overall function of participating beneficiaries.

Applications to participate in the program are due by April 1, 2021.

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