Opioid-addicted patients in Rhode Island will get easier access to medications to treat addiction

Dr. Kathleen C. Hittner, Rhode Island health insurance commissioner, announced that four major health insurance companies agreed to provide easier access to treatment for opioid addicted patients. / PBN FILE PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS
Dr. Kathleen C. Hittner, Rhode Island health insurance commissioner, announced that four major health insurance companies agreed to provide easier access to treatment for opioid addicted patients. / PBN FILE PHOTO/STEPHANIE ALVAREZ EWENS

Updated at 4:19 p.m.

CRANSTON – Rhode Island Health Insurance Commissioner Dr. Kathleen Hittner announced Wednesday that she has signed agreements with all of Rhode Island’s major commercial health insurers that will end the preauthorization requirement for certain prescription drugs used to treat patients with opioid dependencies. The agreement took effect May 15, a Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island spokesperson told Providence Business News.

“I am very pleased to announce these agreements, which will greatly improve access to necessary medications for patients with opioid dependence disorders, Hittner said in the statement. “Working together with Rhode Island’s health insurers, we’ve found a way to streamline processes for coverage of these treatments. I am grateful for the insurers’ collaboration and commitment to fighting this public health crisis.”

The four major health insurers – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, NHPRI, Tufts Health Plan and UnitedHealthcare – all agreed to eliminate the need for prior authorizations for patients who are prescribed such medications as buprenorphine and Suboxone, which are frequently referred to as “Medication Assisted Treatment.” With this change, opioid dependent patients will have more timely access to medications, the statement indicated.

- Advertisement -

“The steps announced today are important to improving access to medication assisted treatment for Rhode Islanders struggling with opioid addiction,” Dr. Tracey Cohen, NHPRI medical director, said. “Too many lives are derailed, or even cut short, by this epidemic. For our part, Neighborhood has a long-standing commitment to eliminating barriers to addiction treatment for all of our members.”

“We recognize how important timely access to Medication Assisted Therapies is for individuals trying to address opioid addiction,” said Jill Flaxington, a BCBSRI spokesperson. “Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island had already taken a number of steps to increase availability of [Medication Assisted Therapies] and we are pleased to join with Commissioner Hittner in this important effort.”

In related news, the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner reported that it is currently conducting a Market Conduct Examination for Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity, so that we can “begin to consider ways to improve access to MAT,” said Hittner.

Nancy Kirsch is a reporter for PBN.

No posts to display