UnitedHealthcare (UHC) is combatting the opioid epidemic and high healthcare costs with new physical therapy and chiropractic care benefits to prevent, delay, or in some cases substitute for invasive...
States focused their efforts on tackling the opioid epidemic and high prescription drug spending by adding substance use disorder (SUD) benefits and lower cost-sharing to Medicaid programs in fiscal...
CVS Health announced that it will be investing $2.5 million in Ohio community organizations to battle opioid use disorder and tobacco substance abuse care and to fortify its workforce training...
In the midst of the transition to value-based care, healthcare payers are looking for key strategies to keep their populations healthier at a lower cost. To that end, most have realized that a...
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics released its provisional report on drug overdose deaths, showing opioid overdoses declined by two...
CMS recently approved two section 1115 demonstration waivers that will allow Minnesota and Nebraska to improve and expand upon their Medicaid institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) over the course of...
CMS continues to wage war on the opioid epidemic with a new grant opportunity for plans to reduce opioid use disorders (OUD).
“CMS is pulling every lever to combat the opioid epidemic, and...
Since the Health and Human Services announced a national state of emergency regarding the opioid epidemic in 2017, the need to improve both initial responses and follow up substance abuse care...
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has partnered with Cigna to improve patient safety and care quality for chronic pain patients at risk for opioid abuse.
The partnership aims to educate...
CMS has introduced new Medicare Part D patient safety policies that will address the opioid epidemic while still preserving medically necessary access to pain management therapies.
The new policies...
Seventy percent of employers are either currently addressing or plan to address behavioral health over the next few years, according to a recent survey from Willis Towers Watson, but many of these...
Blue Shield of California’s Narcotic Safety Initiative has achieved a 56 percent reduction in opioid use among members with chronic pain, surpassing its 2018 year-end goal by six percentage...
Primary care providers (PCPs) and psychiatrists are among the least likely professionals to accept Medicaid, leaving patients without some of the most fundamental resources for preventing or managing...
AmeriHealth Caritas has successfully reduced opioid dependency rates among managed care beneficiaries through member engagement and data analytics techniques that promote alternatives to opioid...
Payers could improve outcomes, increase cost-effectiveness, and reduce opioid use for lower back pain by expanding non-pharmacological coverage such as physical therapy and chiropractic care, according...
A coalition of Illinois payers has sued prominent pharmaceutical companies in a lawsuit that argues the companies are responsible for a spike in opioid prescription costs and patient safety risks.
The...
Commercial payers and the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance (PDI) have agreed to increase access to medication-assisted treatments (MAT) and realign prior authorization processes for beneficiaries...
Managed care payers can use data analytics, case management strategies, and patient engagement tools to address the needs of high-risk individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs), states a new...
The BlueCross BlueShield Association has announced a new accreditation program for opioid abuse treatment centers as a larger part of the organization’s mission to combat the US opioid...
CMS has issued new opioid coverage strategies and health IT guidance to help states improve opioid safety within Medicaid plans. The guidelines include advice for state programs about treating infants...
