News Report | July 18, 2022
Medicare Proposes Addiction Treatment Coverage Change—Mobile Opioid Treatment & Buprenorphine Telehealth Treatment
In the 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed two changes to improve beneficiary access to addiction treatment services. Medicare intends to cover opioid treatment and recovery services provided by mobile units operated by Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs). Medicare proposed continuing to pay for telehealth services to start treatment with buprenorphine. If these changes are adopted as proposed, the new coverage would begin in January 2023.
OTPs will be able to bill Medicare fee-for-service for addiction treatment services performed by mobile units without obtaining a separate registration for the mobile unit . . .