Home Health & Hospice Week
Opioid Prescribing Guideline Clarification May Curb Access Problems
If you’ve run into problems securing coverage for opioids for your hospice patients, a letter released last month by the Centers for Disease Control may help. The problem: In 2016, the CDC issued a guideline document regarding prescribing of opioids at www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/prescribing/guideline.html. The guideline led to insurers and states blocking or adding obstacles for coverage of the medications for certain patients, including those at end of life. “Many prescribers in hospice and palliative care have been required to meet additional standards which may delay access to pain and symptom-relieving medications,” reports the National Association for Home Care & Hospice. The solution: Last month, the CDC released a letter clarifying that the guideline was intended only for opioid prescriptions “outside of cancer treatment, palliative care, and end-of-life care.” CDC sent the letter to the American Society of Hematology, the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. The letter is at www.asco.org/sites/new-www.asco.org/files/content-files/advocacy-and-policy/documents/2019-CDC-Opioid-Guideline-Clarification-Letter-to-ASCO-ASH-NCCN.pdf.
Home Health & Hospice Week
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