Medicare Compliance & Reimbursement

One of telehealth's most important assets is the opportunity for physicians to advise and care for patients far from medical facilities and/or where clinician shortages exist. In a bipartisan drive to help providers treat patients suffering from opioid addiction, three United States Senators urge the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to change its drug treatment policies in regard to telehealth, specifically to address epidemic issues in rural and underserved areas.

Background: "Opioid abuse is a serious public health issue," said HHS on its new online resource for the opioid crisis. "Drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury death in the United States." And with results suggesting that "more than 115 Americans die after overdosing on opioids" daily, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, it's no surprise that the government determined a Public Health Emergency(PHE) and is investing heavily to combat theserious issue.

Proposal: US Senators' Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) want "to expand rural communities' access to treatment for opioid addiction," indicated a press release from Senator McCaskill's office. In a joint letter to DEA Acting Administrator Robert W. Patterson, the three Senators refer to the importance of the PHE and suggest the DEA "create a special class of providers" who could utilize telemedicine for "opioid-based medication-assisted addiction therapies." The group believes that the advantages of telehealth and this change would particularly aid providers battling this critical problem in rural areas where patients are mightily struggling with the epidemic.

"This rule change for expanding telemedicine access in a safe and controlled manner is another crucial step forward in addressing this epidemic and would ensure that controlled substances are dispensed in a tightly regulated and safe way," said Senator Murkowski.

Resource: To look at Senator McCaskill's release and read the letter to the DEA, visit www.mccaskill.senate.gov/media-center/news-releases/mccaskill-murkowski-sullivan-seek-to-expand-opioid-addiction-treatment-options-for-rural-communities.