The Alliance of Specialty Medicine (Alliance) wrote to key members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Health Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee to provide specialty physician feedback regarding responding to the opioid crisis. Specifically, the Alliance urged the Committees to examine ways to prevent opioid addiction by ensuring appropriate quality measures, providing better reimbursement for managing pain, supporting the National Pain Strategy as well as state-based innovation, addressing illicit drug use, utilizing appropriate physician input for any potential prescribing limits while recognizing the limitations of the CDC guidelines, promoting industry engagement, encouraging electronic prescribing, strengthening prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), enhancing education of physicians and other providers, and ensuring appropriate coverage for alternative therapies. To aid in treating those with opioid use disorder (OUD), the Alliance advocated for appropriate payment incentives, continued Medicaid coverage, and enforcement of existing parity laws.
Click here to read the letter to Ways and Means Committee.
Click here to read the letter to HELP Committee.
