News from NASADAD
- NASADAD attends Recovery Month kick-off event and luncheon
- NASADAD releases section-by-section analysis of buprenorphine legislation by Senator Markey (D-MA)
News from the States
- Arizona State Director Cory Nelson records podcast for the Payer’s Summit on Behavioral Health Management
Around the Agencies
- SAMHSA hosting two part webinar series on substance use and suicide
- SAMHSA releases brief report on 2013 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- HHS announces $60 million in grants for health insurance Navigators
- DEA releases new rules to expand prescription drug disposal options
In the News
- ASAM releases updated report on State Medicaid coverage of medication-assisted treatment
News from NASADAD
NASADAD attends Recovery Month kick-off event and luncheon
Rob Morrison, Executive Director and Colleen Haller, Public Policy Associate attended the events on September 4th. The Recovery Month kick-off event was hosted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and featured presentations by SAMHSA Administrator Pamela Hyde, White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Acting Director Michael Botticelli, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) Director Dr. H. Westley Clark, Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) Director Paolo del Vecchio, and representatives from the recovery community. Tom Coderre, SAMHSA Senior Advisor, moderated the event. Presenters offered personal stories of recovery as well as highlighting the work at the federal level to expand and promote recovery from substance use disorders and mental health disorders. Administrator Hyde also released some of the data from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.
Following the press event, participants attended a luncheon hosted by NAADAC. SAMHSA, Young People in Recovery (YPR), and the Association of Recovery Schools partnered with NAADAC to plan the event. The luncheon opened with a song written and performed by John McAndrew, a recovery advocate. ONDCP Acting Director Botticelli and Administrator Hyde provided brief remarks and Cynthia Moreno, Executive Director of NADAAC, welcomed participants and emceed the event. A number of other speakers presented on a panel to discuss treatment and recovery issues including CSAT Director Dr. Clark, CMHS Director Paolo del Vecchio, founding member of Young People in Recovery Mike DeAgro, and Executive Director of the Association of Recovery Schools Kristen Harper.
NASADAD releases section-by-section analysis of buprenorphine legislation by Senator Markey (D-MA)
NASADAD released the analysis of a bill introduced by Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) in August. The bill, The Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act (TREAT Act) was co-sponsored by Senators Diane Feinstein (D-CA), John Rockefeller (D-WV), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI). The legislation would increase the number of patients that a waivered provider is allowed to treat to 100 in the first year and then some physicians can request to remove the limit after the first year if they are addiction specialists or if they completed additional training and practice in a qualified practice setting (named in the legislation). The legislation would also allow certain nurse practitioners and physician assistants to treat up to 100 patients per year if they are licensed in a State that allows them to prescribe controlled substances, if they complete the training, and if they are supervised by a waivered physician or are certified addiction treatment nurse practitioners who practice in a qualified practice setting. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) will also be required to produce a report on the legislation looking at chances in treatment availability and utilization, quality of treatment, primary care integration, diversion, and more. The legislation has been endorsed by a variety of organizations including the American Society for Addiction Medicine (ASAM), Trust for America’s Health (TFAH), Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), National Association of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), and others. NASADAD has not taken a position on this legislation.
News from the States
Arizona State Director Cory Nelson records podcast for the Payer’s Summit on Behavioral Health Management
Director Cory Nelson will be presenting at the summit on “Integration and Behavioral Health Management – The Arizona Experience.” 80 percent of Arizona’s frequent health care system users have a mental health or substance use condition. Mr. Nelson discusses how Arizona has been working toward the integration of physical health, mental health, and substance use disorders through its health management strategies and health care delivery system. Director Nelson also offers insight about how Arizona’s health care system will operate in the future as integration efforts grow and mature.
Around the Agencies
SAMHSA hosting two part webinar series on substance use and suicide
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be hosting the series, with part one scheduled for Thursday, September 11th at 2 pm Eastern Time. Part one of the series will focus on “Understanding the Connection between Suicide and Substance Abuse: What the Research Tell Us.” Presentations will provide information for practitioners to help them work more effectively across disciplines to address the issues around substance use disorders and suicide. This includes looking at current research and highlighting the factors that contribute to both issues and that can be addressed in a collaborative way. Part two will be centered on “Mobilizing Partnerships and Resources to Address Substance Abuse and Suicide.” This webinar will discuss how States and communities can effectively collaborate across disciplines on these issues. Presenters will highlight some of the innovate ways that practitioners have found to successfully prevent substance abuse and suicide. Participants may register online to participate.
SAMHSA releases brief report on 2013 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
As part of the kick-off for Recovery Month, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) released a brief overview of findings from the 2013 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The brief provides national estimates on the prevalence of substance use and mental illness. The report also supports the need for and barriers to receive substance use disorder treatment, mental health care, and care for individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. An estimated 24.6 million individuals aged 12 and older were past month users of illicit drugs – 2.2 million of which are adolescents between 12 and 17 years of age.
HHS announces $60 million in grants for health insurance Navigators
The Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), Sylvia Burwell made the announcement on September 8th. The grants have been awarded to 90 organizations in States with federally-facilitated and State partnership insurance marketplaces. These grants help Navigators prepare and reach out to their communities to assist with the upcoming enrollment period for the health insurance marketplaces. Navigators and other assisters helped roughly 10.6 million consumers apply for health insurance coverage in the marketplace, in Medicaid, or in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) during the first open enrollment period. In addition to helping consumers enroll in marketplace coverage, Navigators also have an important role in helping consumers determine whether they qualify for public health coverage (Medicaid or CHIP).
DEA releases new rules to expand prescription drug disposal options
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) released the final rule on September 8th. Prior to this rule, prescription drug disposal was limited to law enforcement. The new rule allows other entities who are registered with the DEA to become authorized medication collection sites. This includes manufacturers, distributors, substance use disorder treatment programs, and pharmacies. Law enforcement continues to have autonomy over how they collect controlled substances, including holding take-back events. Anyone interested may partner with law enforcement to organize a take-back event.
In the News
ASAM releases updated report on State Medicaid coverage of medication-assisted treatment
The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) released an update of their survey of State Medicaid benefits for medications used to treat opioid use disorders. The updated report features an online, interactive map that shows how many medications are covered under each State’s Medicaid program. The State pages also provide fact sheets on the medications covered in that State, an overview of the benefits for each medication (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone), as well as any limitations placed on the medications.