COVID-19: Telehealth Resources for Clinicians Providing MAT, Including OTPs

web version March 20, 2020 Telehealth Resources for Clinicians Providing MAT, Including OTPs This is an announcement from the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The U.S. Government is working tirelessly to minimize the spread of the coronavirus disease. The National Institute on Drug Abuse has noted that people with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) may be particularly vulnerable. We want to make sure providers, including Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), who treat patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) are aware of the options to use telehealth to prescribe medication for medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and other support services during the COVID-19 national health emergency: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) expands telehealth benefits for Medicare and Medicaid patients Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) guidance on issuing prescriptions for controlled substances during a public health emergency to patients for whom they have not conducted an in-person medical evaluation Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) guidance on potential flexibilities for take home medication, as well as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) View CMS’ FAQs on billing add-on codes for take-home medication and the threshold for billing the weekly bundled payment codes for additional assistance applying these flexibilities to Medicare claims SAMHSA guidance on medical emergency exceptions to 42 CFR Part 2 regulations on use and disclosure of patient identifying information for treatment purposes and to support elevated need for telehealth services Office of Civil Rights (OCR) guidance on enforcement discretion for HIPAA Rules in connection with the use of telehealth To keep up with the important work the White House Task Force is doing in response to COVID-19, visit the coronavirus.gov webpage. For information specific to CMS, visit the Current Emergencies Website. NAADAC Resources NAADAC wants to ensure that you have the resources and tools you need to provide the best possible prevention, treatment, and recovery support to the clients you serve during the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, NAADAC has collected materials from various federal agencies in order to provide you with updated information and resources for your use regarding COVID-19 and placed them on the NAADAC website on a COVID-19 Resources page. We will be continuously updating this page as more information becomes available. NAADAC also offers telehealth resources, including a discounted telehealth platform and education about the use of telehealth provided by our partners. NAADAC, The Association for Addiction Professionals 44 Canal Center Plaza, Suite 301, Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: 703.741.7686 / 800.548.0497  | Subscribe |